cure for stress: banana pecan muffins

Tuesday, October 5, 2010 |
Baking is my self-imposed therapy. I discovered the calming properties of this activity almost two years ago when I was figuring out whether or not to quit grad school. Rough time. But then I discovered that kneading a loaf of bread or mixing up a batch of cookies was a guaranteed way to calm myself down. Fast forward to this year: I was having a pretty strong summer and didn’t do too much baking (also, it was WICKED hot outside), but life has gone a bit haywire again (jobless), and I need it. Lucky for you, I share my recipes. *grin*


Banana Pecan Muffins (recipe adapted from Muffins)


INGREDIENTS

1 generous cup all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

1/3 cup golden or white sugar

1 cup chopped pecans (you can also try walnuts or hazelnuts)

2 ripe bananas

5 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract



DIRECTIONS


Preheat the oven to 375˚F/190˚C. Place 8 or 9 muffin paper liners in a muffin pan. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, add the sugar and pecans, and stir to combine.


Place the mashed bananas, milk, butter, egg and vanilla extract in a separate bowl and mix together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and gently stir until just combined.



Divide the batter evenly between the paper liners and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until risen and golden. Remove from oven and pan and let cool.


Recommended for: a special treat on weekend mornings, using up those ‘just too ripe’ bananas, and for a healthy fix if you’re craving carbohydrates.

20 comments:

shelly said...

yummm. i want to eat these with nutella. and that looks like a very special bottle of vanilla extract! :)

Alyce said...

Those look very yummy! Thanks for sharing!

Mystica said...

This looks easy and I will substitute cashews. No pecans / walnuts here.

sRy_ said...

and banana is also good for study for being rich in phosphorus :)

Nina said...

These look great, but I don't love banana! :)

Tales of Whimsy said...

Ooo all that needs is coffee!

Peaceful Reader said...

Oh, these look so yummy! Love your photos, especially the first montage-the pumpkin, the book and your elegant glass bowl!

Anonymous said...

Banana, but no pecans please. I love that you share your recipes though. Even if the closest I've gotten to baking in the past month was rice crispie treats.

Cecelia said...

Shelly: Many thanks for the vanilla! I've used it twice now in recipes (delicious).

Alyssa Kirk said...

I can smell them from here - Yummy!

Unknown said...

I don't bake much and I haven't for a while, but I love trying new recipes! :)

I usually do cookies or cupcakes - which is a hop & skip away from muffins, I guess.

Anyhow, this recipe is currently on my "to bake" list.

Hope you felt better afterwards!

A Buckeye Girl Reads said...

Those look awesome!!! I discovered baking therapy about 2 years ago as well. It's the best cure ever when you are down and out.

Zara said...

Ohh, I love muffins! And baking really is one of the best (and definitely the tastiest) forms of therapy. :)

Ryan said...

My stress is already gone.

Melissa (i swim for oceans) said...

Those look absolutely scrumptious! :)

Kristen M. said...

I'm sorry about the jobless thing. I hope things work out on that front. These muffins can't hurt though (unless you're looking for swimsuit modeling jobs)!

Mrs. Q: Book Addict said...

These look delicious. Thanks for the recipe. I'm sorry about the hectic life, but things will start to look up i'm sure.

~Sending you positive vibes~

redhead said...

kneading bread is the best stress reliever ever. And I am SO Making those muffins this weekend!!

Tracy said...

Mmmm - these muffins sound good! I discovered baking at University and often used to make cakes, and when I was older discovered that taking out your anger and aggression by pummeling a load of bread dough is definitely an excellent stress-buster (plus you end up with freshly-baked bread)

Kim said...

Anything banana is good. Yum! Did you say "if" or "when" you are craving carbs? Congrats on your new job!

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