Banana Muffins

I found this cookbook while on vacation with Shai on St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. Even back then I was addicted to buying cookbooks! I first tried these muffins soon after we returned from our holiday and I haven't found one that I like as well since. The cookbook is called "Caribbean Desserts" and was written by John DeMers. I have tried some of the other recipes in the book including Easter Buns, Pumpkin Pancakes and St. Kitts Coconut Pie, but nothing else has really stood out like these muffins. This can easily be turned into a cake; butter a 9x13 cake pan and proceed as normal. You will have to increase the baking time but maybe just an extra 10 minutes or so. There is nothing fancy about these muffins. They are just really good and everyone always likes them. I'm sure you will too!

Banana Muffins

2 c. flour
2 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 c. plus 1 T. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 ripe bananas (or 1 1/2 c. mashed)
1/4 c. milk
1/2 t. cinnamon (optional and I never put it in)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare muffin pan (12 muffin spots). I use the large/jumbo muffin cups to avoid messy cleanup.
2. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In a large bowl with an electric mixer set at medium speed, cream the butter with the 1 c. sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then beat in the vanilla.
3. In a small bowl combine the bananas with the milk. With the electric mixer on low speed, stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture alternately with the banana mixture. Stir just until combined. Spoon into the buttered muffin cups. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar (and cinnamon mixed in if you are using it).
4. Bake until a tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes; serve warm. Makes 12 extra-large muffins.

*Joanne: Good luck with this recipe. You might want to bake the cake at 350 degrees if it is a bigger sized pan. I know you will love working with the Moussellline Buttercream from "The Cake Bible". The buttercream from the "On The Twenty Cookbook" is very similar and it makes a larger batch so you may want to use that for the big cake. I would make the batches well ahead and freeze them (well, I am too much of a procrastinator to do that, but you could!!!) and then you have that step out of the way. Don't forget to try a little banana liqueur. It will put the whole thing right over the top! Read all the tips and tricks from "The Cake Bible" for the buttercream. It will help you to clue in on something if it curdles or goes awry.

*I like to sprinkle coarse brown sugar (demerara sugar I think) on the tops of my muffins and scones. It adds a nice crunch to the tops.