I did not set out to make Banana Muffin Tops (or "muffies" as the bakery/cafe/restaurant Panera likes to call them) on the morning of Sunday, March 11. But I was on a runner's high from having gotten a good jog in for the first time in weeks (56 days to be exact, but who's counting?) and I was energized to bake on my one full day off. I started with pancake batter because my dad always wants pancakes for breakfast on Sunday. Then I assessed what ingredients I had around the house and what I could throw together without even glancing at a recipe.
That's right, I attempted to make a baked good recipe-free.
This is a big deal for me. I love to experiment but I need to have some kind of foundation for my experimentation. I need order for things to make sense. Baking is a science and science needs to be exact so that other scientists can later repeat the process (that's what the scientific method--question, research, hypothesis, experiment, data, conclusion--is all about). But I figured, "What the hey? After all the baking I've done, I can probably throw something together with proper proportions from memory, right?"
You may think now is the time to shake your head sadly or just laugh in my face. You may be expecting a photo of exploded banana muffin batter to come next.... But unlike my truffle failure, this baking experiment turned out with the perfect shape and texture (see the picture above). It was in flavor, however, that I failed.
And I wouldn't even call it a failure--just not quite the success I was going for. Cutting perhaps a bit too far back on oil and sugar, the taste of these muffins was just "all right." Though they smelled delicious both in the oven and when my mom sliced one in half and grilled it on the stove. So if you attempt to make this healthier version of a banana muffin tops (or regular banana muffins if you don't have "muffin top" pans or cups), you might want to remind your taste testers to butter them, jam them up, or even add a little frosting on top to give just a little extra moisture (as well as sugar or fat--because that is what makes things taste good) to an almost successful experiment.
Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 pinches of salt
3 small bananas, ripe and mashed
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup fat-free milk
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 egg
1 egg white
Directions:
1). Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with muffin top paper liners or grease a regular muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2). In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the bananas, sugar, milks, oil, and eggs.
3). Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until everything is well combined but not overmixed. Lumps are definitely okay.
4). Pour the batter evenly into the muffin cups and bake for about 10 minutes (a little longer if you're making muffins instead of muffin tops) until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffie comes out clean.
If I attempt this recipe again, I will likely add a little more oil, a little more brown sugar and perhaps experiment with the kind of dairy I use as well. In theory, these muffins can be made with just buttermilk, just milk (fat-free probably isn't the best option, though), or even yogurt or sour cream. Perhaps two eggs would be better than one egg white (that one was leftover from the pancake batter's egg yolk). And if the bananas I chose to use had been just a touch riper, the muffies probably would have been a little sweeter and more moist too.
So here's to hoping my next recipe is an absolute knockout! Want a preview of coming blog attractions? Well, I do have plans for a fun St. Patrick's Day cookie treat (hopefully I'll have time to post it during the actual month of St. Patrick's Day). And I also just bought myself a donut pan this very evening. I'm imagining a donut with bacon. You just can't fail with bacon. I can't wait to try it out and share!
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