Banana Crunch Muffins ~ by Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook)

There’s nothing better than a freshly baked muffin…just out of the oven and enjoyed with a hot cup of coffee…YUM!

These muffins will be baked often. This recipe is a keeper!

The muffin photo above can be seen in
FOOD GAWKER (#63737)

and was EXPLORED in flickr

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So…on to baking these yummy muffins.

As usual, I did make some changes to the recipe. I made the granola from scratch. You can view the GRANOLA RECIPE on my post HERE.

I also typed this recipe out as viewed in the video. The recipe directions posted online is not in the same order as in the video.


Banana Crunch Muffins
The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

Adapted by Carmen Ortiz of Baking is my Zen

Cook Time: Approx 25 -30 minutes
Yield: 18 large muffins or 23-24 regular size (2 ½ inch cup)

INGREDIENTS:

DRY MIXTURE:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon (my additon)

MILK MIXTURE:
2 extra-large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 bananas)
1 cup medium-diced ripe bananas (1 banana)

1 cup small-diced walnuts
1 cup granola (see my post for making your own granola)

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

TOPPING:
Dried banana chips, granola, or shredded coconut, optional 
Finely chopped walnuts a bit of cinnamon (my preference for the topping)


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Line 18 large muffin cups with paper liners. (Or 24 muffin cups)

3. SIFT the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.

4. Combine the eggs, milk, vanilla.

5. Add the melted butter (cooled just a bit-you don’t want to cook the eggs) to the milk mixture and blend.

6. Pour the milk mixture to dry ingredients.

7. Mix well but don’t overmix.

8. Add the mashed bananas, diced bananas, walnuts, granola, and coconut into the batter.

9. FOLD all ingredients. DO NOT OVERMIX.

10. Spoon the batter into paper liners, filling each to the top. (I use ice cream scooper to fill cups).

11. Top each muffin with dried banana chips, granola, or coconut, if desired. (I prefer finely chopped walnuts mixed with a bit of cinnamon)

12. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

13. Cool slightly, remove from the pan, and serve.

Here's a Food Network  VIDEO of Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa baking the Banana Crunch  Muffins.

THE NEXT FOOD NETWORK STAR is on tonight!

Who do you think should win?

Peace in baking,

Carmen

Baking is my Zen…sweet nibbles for the soul

Then there was Granola…

When I see Granola packages in the store, I wonder…how hard can this be to make? Well, it's not hard at all! The key to a successful product? Don’t overbake.

I plan on making muffins which require granola in the recipe. So, I thought I’d make my own granola. The muffin recipe will be in another post.

I own the book, The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather. She has a recipe for granola that looked simple. My first try was not successful. The granola was to cool completely before adding the dried fruit. But, it was so hard, I had to toss it. My instructions below show how I circumvented this issue. I used a plastic zip lock bag to complete the cooling process.

So…Let’s get to it…

I’ve added a photo tutorial and the recipe follows.

As usual, we start with Mis en Place…which is gathering all your ingredients before baking.

• Combine the oil and honey mixture in a saucepan:
• Combine the dry ingredients:
old-fashioned rolled oats
sunflower seeds
sweetened flaked coconut
sliced almonds
• Pour liquid mixture into the dry:

• Mix dry & wet ingredients together:
• Pour mixture into tray (lined with aluminum foil-optional):

• BAKE at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes.

• Cool granola on tray until lukewarm. Transfer to gallon size plastic zip lock bag. Mix granola every 10 minutes or so until completely cool. Shake the bag gently.

• Add chopped dried fruit to cooled granola in the bag. Mix fruit and granola in the sealed bag.

• Transfer cooled granola to an airtight container.

Jonnie’s Breakfast Granola
The Pastry Queen
By Rebecca Rather with Alison Oresman
Adapted by Carmen Ortiz of Baking is my Zen

YIELD: About 14 Cups

INGREDIENTS:

Oil & Honey mixture:
¾ cup vegetable oil
½ cup honey
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt

Oatmeal mixture:
8 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup sliced almonds
1 tablespoon cinnamon (my addition)

Add to cooled granola:
1 cup chopped dried apricots
1 cup dried cranberries

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mis en Place:
Gather ingredients and utensils. Place on work table.
Measure all ingredients. Chop dried fruit. Prep trays.

1. In large saucepan over medium heat, add
vegetable oil, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt.
Stir until the sugar dissolves. (Approx 3 minutes)

2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, sunflower seeds, coconut, almonds, and cinnamon.

3. Pour the warm oil & honey mixture into the oat mixture and stir until combined.

4. Line two trays with aluminum foil (12 x17 inch rimmed baking sheets). Lining the tray is optional.
Spread mixture evenly on the two trays.

5. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring several times. (don’t overbake)

6. Place trays on rack to cool. Stir granola occasionally while cooling.

7. Transfer granola (still slightly warm) to a plastic zip lock bag (gallon size).

8. Close bag and mix the granola every 10 minutes or so until cool.

9. When granola is completely cool, add dried fruits.

10. Store granola in an airtight container up to 3 weeks.

Enjoy!

I’ll be making muffins using Granola in another post…stay tuned…

Peace in baking,

Carmen

Baking is my Zen…sweet nibbles for the soul