Recipes: Banana Nut Muffins

I picked up this cookbook for me and my brother randomly at Costco many years back.  It has become our favorite go to baking guide.  It lays out details about baking that most should know but only culinary students learn.

These fabulous muffins have become a favorite in our house.  These particular ones are my "healthy" version of the recipe.  Find both recipes at the bottom of this post.
Basic recipe tips:
Use "cheap" flour (like gold brand or generic grocery brands) for muffins, cookies, scones or anything that uses baking soda/powder for leavening.  Essentially there is less protein in these flours and protein is good for slow yeast breads and bad for quick breads.
Tip #2 is a bit of yogurt adds a super soft textur.
Tip #3 roast the walnuts in the oven.  This is an amazingly easy thing that creates a wonderful full flavor. My favorite way to do nuts is buy the walnuts or pecan baking pieces from Trader Joes.
Last tip is use super dooper ripe bananas and don't smash up to much! (those little chunks of banana make a great treat while biting into the warm muffin.

My healthy muffin tips are essentially changing ingredients.
The first thing I do is use non-fat greek yogurt for the yogurt;
I replace the sugar with 1/2 date sugar  and 1/2 raw sugar  (your body to use the sugars energy better than a processed white sugar) ;
I replace 1/2 the flour with oat flour (this adds a wonderful healthier flour with nutty sweetness); 
Finally (and this is a big one that you need to trust me on)  I replace 1/2 the butter (yes I do use real butter) with flax meal.  For every Tablespoon of butter you put in 3 Tablespoons of flax meal.  This is an amazingly healthy ingredient that adds so much to your baked goods.

Banana Muffins

Makes about 12-15 muffins

REGULAR INGREDIENTS

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups walnuts, chopped coarse

3/4 cup (51/2 ounces) sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 very ripe, soft, darkly speckled large bananas, mashed well ( about 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup plain yogurt

2 large eggs, beaten lightly

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

HEALTHIER INGREDIENTS

1 cup (5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup oat flour

1 1/4 cups walnuts, chopped coarse

3/8 cup raw sugar
3/8 cup date sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 very ripe, soft, darkly speckled large bananas, mashed well ( about 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup non-fat greek plain yogurt

2 large eggs, beaten lightly

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
12 tablespoons flax meal
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350

1. Spread walnuts on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant, 5-10 minutes.  Set aside to cool.
2. Mix the mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter (and flax), and vanilla with a wooden spoon.
3.  Put flour(s), sugar(s), salt, soda, and walnuts on top of banana mix.  Lightly fold ingredients together with a rubber spatula until just combined and the batter looks thick and chunky. TIP:  over mix will result in tough muffins!
4.  Scoop mix into oiled muffin pans.  (I use a large cookie scoop)
5. Bake for about 15 min and until a toothpick is inserted and center comes out clean TIP: clean means not wet a few crumbs is a good thing!  My muffins have only a light color.
Cool for 5 min and indulge.