We didn't manage to get through the bananas from our organic box before they were far too ripe for even the staunchest banana eaters in our house to tackle them. Over ripe bananas are the harbinger of banana muffins around here, so I knew the time had come for me to put our politically correct fruit to the test and come up with a gluten-free treat.
You may recall from my banana pecan muffin recipe that I have a predilection for lightly mashed bananas instead of pureed bananas. Now, if you are operating from frozen, you'll pretty much need to go with the puree or the utter mash. However, if you are using bananas that are "flecked with brown and have a golden hue" as the old Chiquita song goes (you know, when the skin has become super thin, and they are very very sweet?), you can lightly mash them to a chunky consistency using a dinner fork. The difference for me is the resulting texture of the finished muffin. A lightly mashed banana results in a lighter, fluffier muffin in my experience. As I recall the banana cake of my childhood, I can still feel it like a rock in my stomach ... However, I have also cooked with bananas from frozen, because it may not always be the right time to bake just because your bananas' biological clock has spoken.
Thanks to the coconut flour in these muffins, they will not be dry. In fact, they will stay wonderfully moist for days if not weeks. The coconut sugar was sort of an after-thought, not motivated by the need for sweetness so much as a desire to add to the depth of flavour. Coconut sugar adds a little darkness, the lemon juice a little brightness, the banana sort of a middle tone. Coconut flour has a bit of a stultifying effect on flavours, so the flavour balancing act is even more important than usual (and it's always very important). I might try a tbsp of carob powder next time, perhaps instead of the coconut sugar, but the flavour of these muffins is very pleasant the way they are, and will go over well with banana lovers. My three year old gives them the pre-schooler seal of approval -- which basically means stuffing them into his mouth and making as much of a mess as possible, then asking for more while his mouth is still full.
ingredients:
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1 cup warm water
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 xl eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups lightly mashed bananas (about 4)
1/4 cup coconut sugar (sort of optional)
2 tsp ground vanilla bean (or 1 tbsp vanilla extract)
2 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp regular ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp sea salt
a little freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup coconut flour
optional -- some good quality chocolate morsels for the chocolate monkey lover ...
directions:
preheat the oven to 345
1. combine the warm water and coconut oil to melt the coconut oil
2. add the lemon juice and mashed banana
3. add the egg and coconut sugar
4. add the vanilla and cinnamon
5. add the salt and pepper
6. add the almond flour then the baking soda
7. finally add the coconut flour
8. if using, throw in 1/2 - 3/4 cup of chocolate morsels
9. scoop into 24 lined prepare baking cups
10. bake at 345 for 45 minutes
No comments:
Post a Comment