Banana Raffa Laffa (aka Banana Spice Muffins)

I do not know what ‘raffa laffa’ means.  When talking with my kids about this blog post, I said it was about bananas, but I didn’t know what to call it.  My youngest blurted out, “Banana raffa laffa!”  I simply wanted to draw attention to and spotlight the beloved banana, so if you’re reading this, I guess the title works?!

It’s tough not to love bananas. They’re sweet, filling, and go great with meals, snacks and desserts.  They are gentle enough for an infant’s young digestive system, yet hearty enough to satisfy a full-grown human. And, they pack a lot of good stuff into just 100 or so calories.  Check out this (somewhat fuzzy) label from Chiquita brand:

We have a lot of fun with bananas here.  A simple breakfast of muffins, bacon and banana slices turned unexpectedly into a food sculpture contest not too long ago.  Say hello to my little friends…

Recently, the boys have been obsessed with a new sandwich combination:  Banana-Peanutbutter-Nutella!  They love them so much, they don’t even mind making their own lunch…

Now, we all know that bananas are a fickle breed, especially in the summer.  They can be slightly under-ripe one day and completely overripe by the next.  In this house, thankfully, we all like them at different stages, but even I can’t eat a banana as overripe as THIS sucker…

These we save for some of our favorite baked goods.  I have made many a loaf of this family fave, Chocolate Chip Banana Bread!

Today, with two *really* ripe (read: black) bananas in the refrigerator, I decided to try a new muffin recipe.  I hit the old standby –Cooking Light — and found a great one for Banana Spice Muffins.  As I sit at the kitchen table writing this, the kids are munching down on them, very happy.

Here’s the adapted recipe, with a few notes to adjustments I made.  The link to the original recipe is included. Enjoy!

Banana Spice Muffins
Makes 18
from Cooking Light 1997

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 small)
2/3 cup 2% low-fat milk
1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk (scant 1/3 cup LF milk with 1 tsp. lemon juice, let sit 5 minutes)
1/3 cup light sour cream
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg white
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine all the dry ingredients (first 8 ingredients) in a large bowl, and make a well in center of mixture. Separately, combine banana and next 7 ingredients (banana through egg) in a bowl, and add to flour mixture. Stir just until moist. Spoon batter into 18 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 400° for 18 minutes or until done. Remove from pans immediately, and cool on a wire rack.