Banana Pecan Muffins

Here's a little history between Bananas and Me.

I hate them. Plain hate. No love. Only hate. My immediate and my extended family including aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors everyone knows this fact. When I was getting married, my cousins teased me that I will have to eat a piece of banana during the ceremony. I almost skipped my own wedding. I would not even touch a banana - I mean touch like literally put my fingers on them. No. I would not do that till about 5 years back.

Then, my daughter was born. And when she was 6 months old, I started to feed her bananas. And that was the only thing she loved most at that age. So, every morning her breakfast was a banana. I had to hold the banana in my hand, peel it and smash it with my own fingers and feed her. Arrgh.. I used to hold it away from my body so that I don't smell it by mistake!

5 years and many many bananas later, I'm ok with them staying on my counter top.

And then yesterday happened.

There were about 4 overriped bananas on the counter and it was one of those few minutes when my mind had no control over my tongue and my tongue spitted out these words - "Maybe I'll make banana nut muffins using these ripe bananas instead of throwing them" - What? What? Are you insane...but it was too late. The whole family had heard what I spoke - now, there's no going back. Damn! Damn!

And so then I did the one thing I do best - Googled. The first hit was a recipe that Tyler Florence had made on Food TV. The recipe seemed simple and it used Pecans. I had Pecans at home and did not have Walnuts which is usually used to make Banana Nut muffins. So, perfect - let me try this.

So I started to get the ingredients out and started the whole muffin making process. My mother in law was a little sad that I was going to use eggs in them as they don't eat eggs. So, at the spur of the moment I decided I will make another set of eggless muffins! That story is my next post.

And so here come the Banana Pecan Muffins. If you've read my story this far, don't miss to read what happened in the end after the muffins were done.

Here is the original Tyler Florence Recipe.

All ingredients assembled here - you can see how ripe the bananas were - the black culprits! I melted the butter in a bowl before I started.

Mix all the dry ingredients together and set aside. Pre heat your oven to 375 degrees.

All Purpose Flour - 2 cups

1 1/2 tsp baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt.

 

Get your little sous chef to line the muffin pans with paper liners. Tell them they have to earn their muffins! 

 

In a small bowl or a flat plate, mash two of the ripe bananas with a fork. Press them down completely. Set aside.

 

In a mixing bowl, add the other 2 ripe bananas and add 1 cup of brown sugar. Beat it all well. This step gave me intense saddistic pleasure - I was beating the hell out of the my arch enemy! Beat it well for about 3 mins - Oh yeah!

 

Now, to the beaten mixture, add the melted butter (3/4 cup - 1 1/2 sticks), add 2 eggs, and a tsp of vanilla extract. You can also add Almond extract if you like the flavor. 

 

Beat it all together well until combined.

 

When the wet mixture is well combined, add the dry flour mix to this a little at a time and keep mixing.

 

Wet and dry ...yin and yang.. Do not beat this too much. Just enough to combine well.

 

When all are combined together, it looks like this.

 

Now, add the two bananas that you pressed down with a fork in here and add about 1 cup of pecans.  Just use a spatula and fold together well until combined.

 

Fill the paper lined muffin tray with the batter. Fill 3/4 of the paper cups.

 

When all the cups are filled, just hold the tray and give it a couple of smacks on the counter to let out the air bubbles. Yeah...some more smacking. Oh..I actually like doing this!

 

Bake it in the pre heated oven for about 15- 18 mins or until they pass the toothpick test.

 

There they are - nice and golden!

 

A close up shot of one.

 

This one wants its portrait published too!  It cried for attention. Poor thing.

 

Look at me all open..

 

Now, look at me closely...what can you see??

 

Here is the end of the story I promised before.

So, these things came out of the oven. You know when you are working with butter and sugar and pecans...your mind is very relaxed. When these things bake and you just remove them out of the oven, the wafting smell of the butter and sugar and everything else just surrounds you. Making your brain even more weaker.

And then I cut it open to take a picture. That small little cloud of hot flavorful steam hit my face - my brain died for a few mins and then I did the unthinkable - I picked up a piece and put it in my mouth. NOOOO...still brain dead - I picked up the other piece and put it in my mouth. That's it - it was the end of my dignity. I had no shame. I was messed with by a banana. A damn yellow and black banana. Crap! I even tried to brush, floss and clean my tongue - but nothing worked. Nothing I do ever could turn back time. I have to give in. Its a sad day for me. A happy day for a banana!

Good bye, my friends. The old Anu is gone - here is a new one that has eaten a banana!