Fantastically Fresh Made Mini Muffins

Twas the night before the launch of my very first food blog, when all through the house not an oven was baking or a mixer was a shaking. The recipes were prepared with pride and care in hopes that followers would soon be there. While visions of banana bread danced in my head? WHAT, BANANA BREAD? I can’t do any better than boring bland banana bread? Well, actually I can. I present to you Belle of the Ball Banana Crunch Munch Mini Muffins. It is a mouth full, I know, and that is exactly what you are going to get. You will savor a mouth full of tender and moist muffin, with a crunchy richness that can be relished morning till night. In honor of my very first blog post there is a BIG GIVEAWAY!! Well, it is not so big but it is still fun to receive something free in the mail. The first person to leave a comment will be the proud winner of their very own bottles of Banana Extract and Coffee Extract!!

Belle of the Ball Banana Crunch Munch Mini Muffins

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 extra-large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon banana extract
½ teaspoon coffee extract (*see note below)
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 bananas)
1 cup medium-diced ripe bananas (1 banana)
1 cup granola (**see note below)
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Chopped dried banana chips, dried fruits (of your choice,) additional granola and coconut for topping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
· Coffee extract will not make your muffins taste like coffee, but will impart a robust and dense flavor to these mini morsels.
· I use basic honey and oat granola bars and pound them with my meat mallet.

Line 100 mini muffin cups with paper liners. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the melted butter and blend. Combine the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, banana extract, coffee extract and mashed bananas, and add them to the flour and butter mixture. Scrape the bowl and blend well. It is very important not to over mix.

Fold the diced bananas, granola, and coconut into the batter. Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each almost to the top. Top each muffin with dried banana chips, granola, dried fruit and coconut. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the tops are lightly brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly, remove from the pan, and serve.

Most likely you will have extra topping that can be used in yogurt, oatmeal or ice cream .