Banana muffins

January 9, 2010 at 8:13 pm Leave a comment

Banana muffins were one of the first recipes I mastered in the kitchen when I was learning how to cook in my teens. The recipe came from a Canadian cookbook called Muffin Mania. I still own it; the pages proudly wear all the slops and spills of a well-used cookbook. My family loved seeing a batch of warm banana chocolate chip muffins emerging from the oven on the weekend, and I loved the fact that they loved what I was making. That feeling of mutual enjoyment between cook and eater was born with this recipe and is at the heart of why I find cooking such a joy, a true source of peace and comfort.

I pulled it out the other day because I was giving my mom a new muffin tin and wanted to include a jar of muffin mix along with the gift. I thought I’d take the time to test it to make sure it still made the grade. Yes, it still does, even converted to gluten free. My mom called me the day after I gave her the gift to announce that the muffins she made from the mix were a success. She also asked me to write down the recipe so she could make it again. Here it is.

4 large ripe bananas
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups flour*
1 cup walnuts
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup flax seeds

Mash bananas. Add sugar and slightly beaten egg. Add the dry ingredients and bake at 375F for 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

*For gluten free, use all purpose gluten free mix plus 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum.