Banana Nutter Muffins

Banana and peanut butter just must be one of the great food romances. But then stir in a little chocolate? Oh heaven. The recipe for these whole-wheat muffins was recommended by my mother-daughter friends, Margie and Kirsten from Maryland – and here in Missouri, they sure bring smiles to two-year old twins and their best-ever-big-brother too.

The joke is, “If ever there’s a hurricane named Jackson or Jerome, take cover. NOW.”

That’s because the havoc wreaked by two-year old twins is matched only by – well, moms, YOU know how much disorder is created by one toddler, let alone two, both so curious about the world flowering before their eyes, so energized by the world beneath their swift-scissor legs.

It’s quite amazing for me, never a mother, to watch these little tykes grow up, moving from too-many scary weeks in the NICU to can’t-hold-‘em-down toddlers.

The older one is cerebral and intense. He is wiry and eats with fervor. The younger one – born just minutes later but on the next day, yes, separate birthdays! – is athletic and relaxed. He is stocky and prefers the toybox to the highchair.

So call me excited when both boys plus their best-ever-big-brother Blake all greeted these muffins-cum-cupcakes with happy smiles and reached for seconds with stubby-sticky fingers.

So are Banana Nutter Muffins muffins or cupcakes? It depends. As muffins, they’re sweet but not too sweet, able to pass as sweet-ish breakfast muffins or a less-sweet after-supper treat. As cupcakes with icing, they’re definitely cake but less sweet than other cakes.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 2 tablespoons peanut butter and 2 tablespoon brown sugar until the sugar melts. Stir in 2 tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla and about a cup of powdered sugar. Makes about 2/3 cup, enough for icing the entire batch.

ALANNA’s TIPS When brown sugar starts off with lumps, be sure to work them out or toss them out before adding any other ingredients. Otherwise you’ll end up with crunchy burned bits throughout the muffins.

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences.

Do you have a favorite recipe for two-year olds that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com.

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BANANA NUTTER MUFFINS

Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Time to table: 45 minutes
Makes 12 regular-size muffins or 36 mini muffins

1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
2 tablespoons smooth or chunky peanut butter
3 very ripe bananas, about 225g (how ripe should bananas be for baking?)

1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour, fluffed to aerate before measuring or 200g
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon table salt

1/3 cup chopped peanuts

1/3 cup (50g) mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400F. Line muffin tins with silicone muffin cups (my favorite!) or grease well.

In a bowl, mix the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon or whisk until well blended. Separately, stir together the dry ingredients, then gently turn into the wet mixture, mixing just until blended. Turn in any add-ins. With two spoons, one to scoop and one to scrape, fill the muffin tins.

Bake for 15 minutes for regular-size muffins or 10 minutes for mini muffins or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes before turning out of the muffin tray. Lovely warm from the oven, best the same day.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Regular Muffin plain/with peanuts/with mini chocolate chips: 185/208/208 Calories; 8/10/9g Tot Fat; 1/2/2g Sat Fat; 17mg Cholesterol; 251/251/259mg Sodium; 26/27/29g Carb; 2g Fiber; 11/11/13g Sugar; 4/4/4g Protein; Weight Watchers Old Points 4/4.5/4.5, PointsPlus 5/6/6

Adapted from Muffins, A Cookbook, a fun little self-published cookbook by Joan Bidinosti and Marilyn Wearring, Canadians who in 1982 acted on their children’s suggestion, “Mum, you should write a muffin cookbook.” Many thanks to my own mum’s friend (and mine!) Margie and her daughter Kirsten for suggesting the cookbook and this, their favorite recipe from it! I happened to find a used copy on Amazon for a few dollars but since it’s out of print, you’ll need to watch for a good price. Still, I can’t but wonder if today’s kids don’t say, “Mum, you should write a food blog.”

My Disclosure Promise

This Week, Years Past

Twenty-Minute Beefy Black Bean Chili Beef Mushroom Stew Crockpot Chicken Goulash Milk-Braised Pork Roast Broccoli Rigatoni with Chickpeas & Lemon Grape Salad with Almonds & Cilantro Ham & Beans with Leftover Ham Bone

This Week, Elsewhere

Chicken Artichoke Brie Soup from Companion
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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While I L.O.V.E. your recipes and your blog, I really don't want the ads in your emails - any chance we can opt out?

Susan on 3/30/2011

Hi Susan, I L.O.V.E. your taking the time to speak out, thanks! The short answer is 'no'. But the longer explanation is that all of us (those who publish online, the companies that provide services for those who publish online) are looking for ways to be paid for our work. (I'm sure you hear the same discussions on NPR, the NYT, all over the media.) At the moment, the only real game is advertising. Both the e-mail services I use provide their services to me at no cost. I provide recipes to you at no cost. The "price" -- if you will -- is an ad or two in your messages and on these pages. I hope that this long explanation helps you understand a little about what happens in the background.

Alanna Kellogg on 3/30/2011

Oh, yes, Alanna :)

PS I love that you've provided metric measurements in grams for your European readers. Next time we meet up, you need to explain the big difference between a muffin and a cupcake - I'm forever confused ;(

Pille on 3/30/2011

The muffins look wonderful, but what's even better is to know that the little twins are doing well!!

Nupur on 3/31/2011

Love your excellent response to the first comment. Well said! I also could have a lot of fun with that peanut butter frosting -- the method is so great! The muffin/cupcake dilemma is interesting...I've been focusing on muffins with much less fat, so they are beginning to seem more cakey. Hadn't thought of that before.

kellypea on 4/12/2011

Thanks for the ever wonderful recipes! Just took my muffins out of the oven, they smell delicious. As a European in the US who still hasn't the whole cup-measuring system fully figured out, I appreciate the grams...

I am inspired by your blog almost daily when planning my meals. Looking forward to many more recipes from you!

Sandra on 5/15/2011