Banana Raspberry Muffins

I have the best intentions when buying bananas. I really do.

I think, "Bananas are so good for you. I'm going to eat one for breakfast every day. If I don't eat one for breakfast, I will have one for an afternoon snack. If I don't eat one for an afternoon snack, I will have one for "dessert" after dinner. That's so grown-up of me"

And then I end up with 3 super sad brown bananas on my counter.

Do I have an ulterior motive? Perhaps.

Would I much rather eat a baked good with bananas in it? Maybe.

At least they didn't go to waste, right? That's called being a grown-up.

Enter one very grown-up cook book:



This book also has an ulterior motive. It masquerades as a cook book one would have on their bookshelf if you were a refined, gentile lady, with it's shiny perfect pictures and it's gold accents.

But then you dive into it a little deeper and it holds recipes like Coca-Cola Cake and Peanut Butter Squares and Fairy Cakes.

Um, what?

This is the kind of grown-up lady I want to be friends with.



You know what isn't so cool about being a grown-up lady?

The metabolism you had at 21 is not the same metabolism you have at 30.

Not cool.

Enter some healthier substitutions.



The original recipe called for white chocolate, dried cherries and all purpose flour.

Doesn't that sound good?

They are. They are super good.

The adjustments I made are just a good. I promise.

The original recipe is called Banana, Cherry and White Chocolate Cupcakes.

Sadly enough, the changes I made morphed these guys into Muffins. It's still good. I really do promise.



Banana Raspberry Muffins

Adapted from: Nigella Lawson's How To Be A Domestic Goddess

Makes 12-16 muffins

1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 Ripe Bananas
4 Tablespoons Fat Free Plain Yogurt
2 Large Eggs
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
3 Tablespoon Trader Joe's Freeze Dried Raspberries
1/2 Cup of Toasted Walnuts, Chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line muffin tin with paper baking cups.

In a large sauce pan melt butter over medium heat.

While butter is melting, in medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients, less raspberries and walnuts.

Once butter has melted completely, remove from heat and add the sugar and vanilla to the sauce pan. Add the whole bananas to the sauce pan and mash with fork in the pan. Once bananas have been well mashed, add yogurt and eggs and with a wooden spoon, beat until combined.

Next add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and and stir until just combined. Lastly add the raspberries and walnuts and gently mix until evenly distributed.

Divide batter among the muffin cups. The original recipe calls for 12 portions but I felt like they were overfilled with making all the batter fit in 12 portions so I spread it out into 16.

Bake muffins for 20 mins. Muffin tops should be golden brown and a tester inserted in the middle should come out clean.

Turn out muffins on a wire rack and allow to cool.