Buttermilk Banana Muffins

I found myself with some extra buttermilk and bananas this week and in searching for a suitable recipe for both found a wonderful recipe on Taste of Home. These muffins are light in every way – both in cake and flavor. This is not the overwhelming thick banana taste of my favorite banana bread but much more subtle and perfect for breakfast with its crumb topping. I like a lot of topping, so I doubled that part of the recipe. I have also found that adding ½ cup chopped pecans or ½ cup mini chocolate chips enhances the recipe ever so slightly.

Muffin:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

Topping:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

4 tablespoons cold butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Fill 20 muffin tins with paper liners.

In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add bananas and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. I used a full size ice cream scoop. One slightly overflowing scoop is perfect.

For the topping, combine the flour, brown sugar and oats. Cut in butter until crumbly. (You can use your hands for this.) Sprinkle a rounded tablespoonful over each muffin. I use a small ice cream scoop for this. One rounded scoop is a good amount. Do not push down the crumb topping onto the muffin.

Bake for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans.

Yield: 20 muffins.