Do you know the muffin man?
I do. I do. I do.
Probably a little too well—especially after he delivered these muffins.
If you know what I mean.
I’m also blaming the muffin man for making me drive to my parents’ house last night to eat Easter leftovers, where I proceeded to pour gravy over my turkey-filled croissant. Actually, croissants—plural. I had two. This might rival the whole gravy-on-french-fries thing. What I did can only be described as pouring salty fat on top of layers of butter.
And the worst part is that now it’s all I ever want to eat for the rest of my life. I see no problem here.
You know what? I succeed at taking something fairly healthy and dousing it in brown butter or a delicious brown-butter-like sauce. Right?
Embrace it. It’s the easiest solution.
It’s not going anywhere.
The good news is that I fly through bananas like whoa. Healthy stuff! As one of my favorite fruits, they sit out on the counter right in my line of vision—since I spend most of my life inside the walls of my kitchen—which helps. Maybe if I left spinach or broccoli on the counter I’d eat more of it? We all know the crisper drawer is where produce goes… to die.
If you don’t feel like making muffins, it’s totally appropriate to whip together some brown butter glaze and lick it off a spoon. That’s what I’m for: your sanity.
Whole Wheat Banana Spice Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1 large egg
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a bowl, whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, salt, and spices; set aside. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg and brown sugar until smooth and free of lumps. Add vanilla, melted butter, and milk, whisking until combined, then fold in the mashed bananas. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined—do not overmix. Fill each muffin liner about two-thirds full (a 1/4-cup measure helps make them uniform).
Bake for 15–17 minutes, or until the tops are no longer wet and turn slightly golden. Remove and cool until comfortable to the touch before glazing.
Brown Butter Glaze
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2–3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
Heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat and add the butter. Whisk constantly as it melts, then continue whisking as it foams and small brown bits form on the bottom of the pan. This browning process takes about 5–6 minutes; once you see the brown bits, remove the pan from the heat and stir for about 30 seconds more. Let the brown butter cool for 10 minutes.
In a bowl, combine the cooled brown butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Whisk until the mixture starts to come together, then add 1 tablespoon of milk and continue whisking. Stir the glaze for several minutes so it becomes smooth; if it’s still too thick, add milk in 1/2-tablespoon increments until you reach the desired consistency. If it gets too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar. Spoon the glaze over warm muffins or dip each muffin top into the glaze, then serve.
Chocolate chips are a welcome addition if you’d like to stud the batter with them—just a thought.