A very muffin New Year!

So they say that the way you spend your New Year's Day will determine your course for the year.

If so, then that means in 2009 I will be fiscally responsible, surrounded by loved ones, snuggled by cats, and I will bake a lot of tasty treats. I think that would be a great year!

To start the year off right, I made Banana Nut Muffins. This recipe is basically the Banana Walnut Muffin recipe from the Williams-Sonoma Muffins cookbook, with minor variations. Strangely, it makes only 10 muffins. But as my friend Helena said, "These are the best banana nut muffins I have ever had!" Which is high praise indeed.



Banana Nut Muffins
1 ½ cups flour
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup nuts, coarsely chopped (I used pecans for this batch, but walnuts are also tasty)
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon (My secret ingredient!)
½ cup oil (The original recipe called for walnut, which I never have. I use canola, or grapeseed, which is a lovely light tasting oil great for baking)
1 egg
1 ¼ cups bananas (2-3), mashed
3 tablespoons buttermilk (Who has 3 tbsp of buttermilk just laying about? I do not. Use sour cream, or plain yogurt, or milk with lemon juice)

Preheat oven to 375. Grease 10 standard muffin cups, fill unused cups one-third full with water to prevent warping. (I use a baking stone muffin pan, which is the best thing ever. No need to fill the empty cups with water if you use a stone, but greasing the others is absolutely necessary.)

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Secret ingredient also goes here. (I have recently fioud that sifting makes everything so much better. Especially if one is using baking soda or baking powder that may be a little old and clumpy. Sifting is your friend, you should really try it.) Stir in the sugar and nuts.

In another bowl, whisk together oil, egg, mashed bananas and buttermilk until blended. (You can add a teaspoon or so of vanilla here if you like. Yum!)

Combine wet and dry ingredients and beat well until evenly combined and creamy.

Spoon batter into each muffin cup, filling it level with the rim of the cup.

Bake until golden, dry, and springy to the touch, 20-25 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins. Serve them warm or at room temperature, with butter.



Perhaps a muffin tradition is born? We'll find out next year!