Healthier Banana-Blueberry Muffins

You know those sad bananas?  Abandoned on the counter, and each day they grow a little more brown and unappealing?  I had a few, and was mulling over what to do with them.  The obvious option, of course, is banana bread.  Which I love.  But, I was looking for something a little healthier, perhaps.  Enter the queen of homemaking - Martha Stewart.

The recipe didn't look too healthy - like you were eating granola or something, but definitely healthier.  Whole wheat flour, flax seeds (instead of wheat germ), bananas and blueberries.  All good things.  Besides swapping flax seeds for wheat germ, I also added a bit of cinnamon.  Never a bad idea!

I whipped these up this morning, and the smell of them baking was simply heavenly!  They needed to cool some, of course, mocking the husband with their tastiness.  And we were not disappointed.
 

They were AMAZING.  We ate... too many.  And seriously considered spending our Saturday eating the whole pan.  Go get the ingredients right now - you must bake them as soon as possible!!!!

UPDATE: This recipe also makes adorable mini muffins.  Just grease the mini muffin tins and fill.  (I did have to make a few full-size muffins as I ran out of little tins).  Then bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool in tins for about 10 minutes, and then transfer mini muffins to a cooling rack.

Healthier Banana-Blueberry Muffins
(adapted from Martha Stewart)
Makes 12 muffins

1 cup whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
1/4 cup ground flax seeds (or wheat germ)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 ripe bananas (about 1 pound)
1/3 cup milk (I used fat-free)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a bowl, whisk together flours, wheat germ, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, mash bananas with a fork (you should have 3/4 cup); stir in milk and vanilla.

With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and banana mixture to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined. Fold in frozen blueberries.

Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 28 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Let cool in pan 10 minutes; transfer muffins to a rack to cool 10 minutes more.

Enjoy!

Doughnut Muffins

Lazy weekend mornings just ask for a tasty breakfast food.  And the fiance certainly doesn't mind.  These little gems I've made for years.  Actually, I can't even remember where the recipe came from.  BUT, they've been a hit whenever I've made them.

The reason for the name?  Well, they're not quite muffins.  And they kind of taste like doughnuts.  But they're not fried - yay!  However, they aren't healthy by a long shot.  But, once you try one, you won't care.  I promise.

I did try to make them a teeny bit better this time around.  I substituted applesauce for the melted butter in the muffin.  It did change the texture slightly (made them a bit chewier), but not in an unpleasant way.

I actually have two recipes for this tasty delight.  One uses cake flour, and although I love baking, my tiny kitchen just doesn't have room for lots of specialty flours.  So, I use a recipe that requires regular all-purpose flour.

You can use large and/or small muffin tins.  I like to use both for a variety of sizes.  Good with coffee... tea... water... mimosas.  I don't think it really matters, because they're so tasty.

Doughnut Muffins
Serves 12-24 (depending on size)

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup butter, melted (or applesauce, if you want to be a bit healthier!)

Topping:
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease muffin tins.

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix egg, milk and butter (or applesauce) in a separate bowl.  Add wet mixture into dry and stir until moistened (don't overbeat or you'll get tough muffins).  The batter is thick, not runny.  Spoon into greased muffin tins, fill about 2/3 full.  Bake mini muffins for 12 minutes and regular muffins for 19 minutes.

Using sharp knife, loosen muffins from tin and flip out onto cooling rack.

Melt butter in one bowl.  Mix together cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.  When muffins are cool enough to touch, roll in butter, then in cinnamon/sugar mixture.  Set on cooling rack and fend off kitchen prowlers.

Enjoy!