Banana Nut Muffins

I recently reviewed Santé Nuts over on Moana Saves. Besides enjoying these lightly roasted nuts in a fresh spinach salad I also tried a new banana nut muffin recipe. I like that this recipe calls for 4 mashed bananas, more than I usually use in a bread. The muffins were moist and the flavor delicious. To quote my husband: "I think this is my new favorite best banana bread recipe."

Banana Nut Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 over-ripe bananas

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly butter one muffin tin.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have  a bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip the remaining bananas and sugar together like you mean it, for a good 3 minutes. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins to fill them about halfway. Give them a rap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.

Bake until a toothpick stuck in the muffins comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before turning the muffins out. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 12 muffins

Source: Tyler Florence’s Banana Nut Muffins recipe