Banana Snack Muffins

Last week I finally got my oven fixed! I've been without a workable oven for over two years. The very first item I baked last week was chocolate chip cookies, much to my children's delight.

I've been trying to find ways to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into our diets, especially for my boys. Muffins are a good way of doing this, so I have been looking for some good muffin recipes. Yesterday I found a little booklet in my cookbook shelf. I'd forgotten about this recipe, which I used to make way back when!

Banana Snack Muffins From Pillsbury Fast And Healthy Magazine, Volume 7, No. 2.

Prep Time: 15 minutes (Ready in 40 minutes)

• 3/4 cup Pillsbury BEST All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Pillsbury BEST Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened
• 3/4 cup mashed banana (about 1 large)
• 1 (8-ox.) container low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 2 egg whites
• Topping
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped walnuts
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1. Heat oven to 375. Spray bottoms only of 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt; mix well.
3. In medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar and margarine; beat at low speed until well blended. Add banana, yogurt and egg whites; beat well. Add to flour mixture. With spoon, stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon batter evenly into sprayed muffin cups.
4. In small bowl, combine all topping ingredients; mix well. Sprinkle evenly over batter in pan.
5. Bake at 375 for 20 - 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately remove from pan. Cool slightly. Serve warm.

12 muffins Nutritional information for 1 muffin 150 calories 35 calories from fat

Okay, now for my notes about the recipe:

1. I use applesauce rather than butter
2. I use whole eggs rather than just the whites, so only 1 egg
3. Instead of 1/2 cup sugar, I generally use less, like 1/2 that amount
4. They work well in foil cups, but will stick terribly to the paper muffin cups.
5. The topping is good, but I leave it off and instead ...
6. Add pecans, walnuts, frozen blueberries, raisin, etc.
7. Flavored yogurt works fine, as does sour creme or a mixture of the two.

And it's even not too bad without the bananas! I totally forgot to add the bananas to yesterday's batch. They still were eaten up by today, so got the chance to try again!