Every week, on my way home from the gym, I head to the grocery store – yes, I’m sweaty and basically gross, but I’m less likely to put something in the basket that will undo all of my hard work. This week, I grabbed a giant container of strawberries, and since they didn’t fit in the bag, I placed it on the front seat for the drive home. They were so tempting that I had to pop one into my mouth. They were delicious – better than usual – the perfect summer strawberries.
If there is one thing I can make without fail, it is banana bread – a recipe that allows someone to turn mush into a deliciousness. A treat that is perfect at pretty much any time of day. Wanting to spice up my usual banana bread, I added the strawberries (what was left over of them anyway), and I added spiced nuts to give it a little crunch. So, while this isn’t the healthiest of muffin recipes, it will be well worth it! Just keep in mind, you may want to make these when you are having company over, as they will be even more tempting than that basket of strawberries – promise.
Spiced Strawberry Banana Muffins – makes 1 dozen
2-3 large ripe bananas – for a total of 1 cup when mashed
1 cup of sliced strawberries – put 12 slices aside
1/2 cup of chopped spiced nuts – I like these.
1 cup of sugar
1 egg
4 tbsp of butter, melted and cooled
1.5 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tsp. of salt and baking soda
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a muffin pan of choice. In a bowl, mash bananas (you should have approx 1 cup) with a fork. Beat in sugar, egg and butter. In another bowl, stir together flour, salt, and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to the banana mixture and stir until flour is moistened. Slowly add in nuts and stir. Next add strawberries, gently folding the batter until mixed.
Fill the muffin tins 3/4 of the wall full. Add one slice of the remaining strawberries to each tin, and bake on the center rack for 20-25 minutes. Muffins should be domed and firm to a light touch. Cool on a cooling rack for 15 minutes, and then transfer the muffins to the rack to cool completely.
* Recipe adapted from my mum’s recipe, who made banana bread for us growing up. Somehow any childhood worries we had disappeared within the first bite. Thanks, Mum!
I hope you enjoy this manicured recipe.
