Sunday, January 13, 2008

Acupuncture Muffin



The bananas had accumulated -- the forgotten bananas that had been a day too old to appeal with cheerios -- for too long in the freezer, and I, the depressed food lover was feeling demoralized after last night's brush with freezer-burned scallops that even saffron sauce couldn't cure. The scene was set for a beautiful sunday afternoon match of banana muffins. Pick-up banana muffins. 

It was beautiful. Buttermilk splashed in effortlessly in place of milk, 3 whole eggs replaced 4 egg whites,  the wet folding into dry like they were born for a tender crumb... I watched from the kitchen floor as my pecan dotted prototypes rose to apparent perfection. When my husband rode home from a victorious encounter of his own (turned out to be a close call, then a loss for "bike shop guy") and tasted them, he likened the experience to the benefits of eastern medicine. "Muffins have the potential to be so doughy, but here, the pecans provide such a specific relief, like acupuncture."

He is always one for precise language. 
2-0, me.

Oat Bran Banana Nut Muffin

With your oven at 400, after you've lined or buttered 2 dozen muffin cups,
Whisk together in a large bowl and set aside:
    3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups oat bran
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped pecans

Whisk together
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
and stir in
5 over-ripe bananas

Add wet to dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. If you're wondering whether you've mixed enough, it's time to stop.
Scoop into muffin tins (I save half the batter to bake in the mornings) and top with a mix of chopped pecans and a little brown sugar. 
Bake 'til the ol' toothpick comes out clean.  

What's the score?

3 comments:

sjohnston said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
sjohnston said...

Those bran banana nut muffins look way too good. I've got to try them! Will they make me fall asleep at my desk too, or is that just the cactus! cactus! sammies?

katyjrogers said...

those are BEAUTIFUL. you should photograph a cookbook (if you're interested in that) :)