Banana Nut Muffins

It's been one of those days again...a day when there's bananas going bad and you have to think desperately what to do with them so they don't have to be thrown away. Well, lucky for those of us out there who face this problem often (I know I do), there's tons of great recipes out there for bananas. I have a few that I want to try out. But today, I decided to try this muffin since it makes for a nice breakfast and something you can have with tea or coffee. All I have to say is, these are super moist and delicious...you cannot go wrong with making these! The recipe is from the Food Network website...here's the link: Banana Nut Muffins: Tyler Florence. For an extra pop and more yummy flavor, I added chocolate chips in a few muffins...chocolate and banana = the perfect combo. Also, I didn't have pecans, so I substituted them with walnuts. Pecans or Walnuts, with or without chocolate chips, it doesn't matter...these are amazing. Enjoyyy =)

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 overripe bananas
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and prepare a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. 

3. Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. Put aside. 

4. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip the remaining 2 bananas and brown sugar together for a good 3 minutes. 

5. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. 

6. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated.

7. Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. 

8. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins to fill them about halfway. Give them a rap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.

9. Bake until a toothpick stuck in the muffins comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. 

10. Let cool for a few minutes before turning the muffins out. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tip: Add chocolate chips to make it even more yummy:

Strawberry Shortcakes

Strawberry shortcakes are golden, fluffy, cream biscuits that are served with sugared strawberries and whipped cream. These fresh, warm biscuits make a delicious desert, and the big sugar crsystals that cover the top give it a sparkling and crunchy finishing touch. I hope you enjoy making it as much as I did!
The recipe is from Williams-Sonoma: Essentials of Baking

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 2 cups (8 oz/ 250 g) cake (soft-wheat) flour, or 1 ¾ cups (9 oz/ 280 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
• ¼ cup (2 oz/ 60 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup (4 oz/ 125 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch pieces
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup heavy cream, plus extra cream if making drop biscuits and for brushing
• 2 tbsp demerara or turbinado sugar
  

For the filling:

• 4 cups (1 lb/ 500 g) strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• Whipped cream (Recipe on the bottom)
  

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat to 425 degrees F. Line a half-sheet pan or rimless baking sheet with parchment (baking) paper.

2. First, prepare the berry filling. In a bowl, using a fork, crush 1 cup of the berries. Add the remaining berries and the granulate sugar, mix well, and refrigerate for up to 30 minutes or more to macerate.

Note: I read in another recipe to refrigerate it for 1-2 hours, which is what I did. I think the strawberries will become more juicy and full of syrup that way. Make sure to prepare the berry filling 1.5 hours ahead of the time you start preparing the shortcakes.

3. Then, in a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and pulse 2 or 3 times to mix. Add the butter and pulse 3 or 4 times, or just until the mixture forms large, coarse crumbs the size of small peas.

4. In a bowl, whisk together the egg and the 1/3 cup cream until blended. Pour over the dry ingredients and pulse 2 or 3 times just until moistened.

5. For drop-biscuits shortcakes, the dough must be soft. Add additional cream, 1 tbsp at a time, as needed. Spoon out the dough onto the prepared pan in mounds 3 inches apart wide and ¾ high, spacing them 1 inch.

Note: I made drop-biscuit shortcakes and I added 1 extra tbsp of cream and the dough was just right.

6. For rolled and cut shortcakes, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently a few times until it clings together. Roll or pat out into a round about ¾ inch thick. Using a 3-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out rounds, pressing straight down and lifting straight up. Place the shortcakes on the prepared pan, spacing them 1 inch apart. Gather up the scraps, roll or pat out again, and cut out more shortcakes.

7. Brush the tops of the shortcakes with 1-2 tbsp cream and sprinkle with Demerara sugar. Bake until lightly browned, 12-15 minutes.

Note: It took about 20 minutes to bake when I made them, so don't worry if you have to leave them a little longer.

8. Transfer the shortcakes to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the whipped cream (see the recipe below).

9. To serve, split the warm shortcakes horizontally and place the bottom half of each, cut side up, on a plate. Spoon the berries on top, dividing them evenly. Top with the whipped cream. Cover the shortcake tops. Serve immediately.

Whipped Cream Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy (double) cream
• 2 tbsp confectioners’ (icing) sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
  

In a large bowl, combine the cream, icing sugar, and vanilla. Using stand mixer fitted with the whop attachment or a hand mixer, beat on medium-high speed until medium peaks form.