usually, ripe bananas mean just one thing to me: chocolate chip banana bread.

it's the standby classic.  made it a million times.  have totally convinced myself that since it is a cooking light recipe and contains yogurt, it is healthy even when i add nearly an entire bag of chocolate chips.  MMMMMM.

but, sometimes you just need a muffin, you know?

this muffin is lighter, but somehow less virtuous than banana bread.  more purely banana.  but with butter. 

plus, it has that crispy muffin top you know you crave.  this is why you must bake and consume muffins on the same day. 

and muffins take way way less time to bake.  a total win.

Banana Muffins

Not at all adapted from a Spilled Milk podcast

• 10 ounces (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 7 ounces (1 cup) sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon table sat
• 13 ounces mashed very ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
• 3 ounces (1/3 cup) buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a muffin tin with nonstick spray. (I like Baker's Joy or another spray with flour in it.)

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Stir together the mashed banana, butter, egg, buttermilk, and vanilla in another bowl. (I like to mash the banana in a large bowl and then stir in the rest of the wet ingredients.) Add the dry ingredients and fold in gently until just combined.

Drop the batter into the muffin tin cups and bake until you get a nice brown ring around the edge of the each muffin top, about 22 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and serve warm.

Yield: 12 muffins