Banana-Poppy Seed Muffins

Before Ron, Janis, Patty and Ed came to visit a couple weeks ago, we made a Costco run and I'm not sure why but Dave thought we needed like 10 pounds of bananas (or however big that super-size bunch of bananas is from there!).

Guess how many bananas we ate? If you guessed none then you are correct. Cue up me searching for recipes using bananas....I picked this one because it called for 4, along with whole wheat flour so I can pretend they are healthy (ignoring the stick of butter). These turned out really good, and I only had like 6 more bananas leftover so win-win for me ;)

Ingredients:

• 8 T. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened; plus more for greasing the muffin tin
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1 T. poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup cold milk
• 2 t. vanilla 

Preheat oven 400', put an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Grease six big muffin tin cups with butter (or spray with non-stick baking spray). 

Whisk the flours, baking powder and soda, salt, and poppy seeds together in a medium-size bowl.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together, until you get a creamy and fluffy texture that is light yellow in color (about 5 minutes). Add the bananas, mixing at high speed until the bananas are blended with the butter and sugar. With the mixer speed on low, beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the milk and vanilla.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet on low speed just until incorporated. Do not over mix.

Scoop batter equally in the cups of the muffin tin, fill each almost to the top. Bake 35-40 minutes (*see my note) until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool. 

*note: I don't have a big 6 cup muffin tin so made 6 small loaves instead, they only needed about 23 minutes to bake. Good thing I was paying attention and checked them at the 20 minute mark!

from 'once upon a tart' cookbook ©2003 (FYI: I just learned how to make the copyright symbol on a mac - hold down the option key and press "g")