Embracing High Heat, Part II (The Sweet)

Not your ordinary banana muffin.

Yesterday, you read on Food Gal about how high heat does wondrous things to plain ol’ shrimp.

Today, you can learn that it also does amazing things to baked goods.

Just take these “Roasted Banana Muffins” from the “PlumpJack Cookbook” (Rodale) by Napa food and wine writer, Jeff Morgan.

Actually, you’d have to pry them from my hands because they are just way too good. So much so, you’d have to be a very generous soul to part with any of them.

What makes them so extraordinary?

High heat that roasts the bananas, whole, in their skins, before you peel them, mash them, and stir them into the batter.

Ten minutes at 400 degrees will turn the skins black. After awhile, juices will begin to seep out. That’s when you know the bananas are ready to be removed from the oven.

High heat caramelizes the natural sugars in the bananas, concentrating the fruit flavor.

This is a very simple muffin recipe that doesn’t have a whole lot of frills to it. Because it’s so plain-Jane, you’ll be struck by how banana-y these muffins taste. There’s a deep, pronounced flavor here, despite the few ingredients.

The tops of these light-textured muffins get a beautiful, Saint Tropez tan, too, from the high heat.

I added 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, just because I like nuts in my banana baked goods. But you can leave them out, if you like.

A smear of butter on a warm muffin half is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

The recipe makes a dozen. But you might want to double it. That way, you might bring yourself to share a few.

Just maybe.

Roasted Banana Muffins

(Makes 12)

2 ripe bananas

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 cup milk

1 large egg, beaten

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Make a 3-inch-long slice down each banana skin and lay the bananas on a baking sheet.

Roast bananas until skins turn black and juices in the bananas start to run from the slits in the skins, about 10 minutes. Remove bananas from the oven but keep oven on. When bananas are cool enough to handle, discard peels and place bananas in a bowl or large, shallow dish. Mash with a fork and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and whisk to blend evenly. In another large bowl, whisk milk, egg, and melted butter. Stir in the mashed banana and walnuts, if using. Thoroughly combine dry ingredients with banana mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to blend well.

Place a paper baking liner into each cup of a 12-tin muffin tray. Spoon muffin batter into each cup, filling about three-quarters full. Bake until golden brown or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.

From the “PlumpJack Cookbook”

Yesterday: Embracing High Heat, Part I (The Savory)

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27 comments

  • Wow! Perfect Bannana Muffin ! for the morning sunrise~

    thandks !

    Have a wonderful Day~

  • Those muffins sound and look really good! I like the idea of roasting the bananas first…

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  • Love this idea. I wonder what would happen if you tossed the bananas on the grill instead? Still in their peels? Same effect, you think? Or would you end up with a nasty mess of the highest order? [thinking] I’m probably making some kind of banana-y bready-y concoction today and now you’ve got my cogs churning…

  • Hey, I have that cookbook and I don’t remember seeing this recipe. I really should open my books up more! Thanks for the reminder! And I don’t need to double the recipe! Being the Single Guy, a dozen sounds about right for me! 😉

  • I love roasted bananas. I agree that it completely transforms the flavor. I like to serve them atop my morning oatmeal.

  • Just when I thought banana muffins couldn’t get any better….

  • Yum! Muffins with roasted bananas sound like a perfect breakfast!

  • Kelly: Oh, I bet roasted bananas WOULD be divine atop oatmeal. What a great idea!

    Cheryl: I know I’ve seen recipes for grilled bananas. Usually, they’re wrapped in foil packets with chocolate before they go on top of the grate. I think you should give it a whirl, and see if you can just grill them in their skins right on the grate. I wonder if you’d get a really nice smoky flavor, too.

  • Roasting the bananas is such an incredible idea! Ill have to try that sometime!

  • Pingback: Local Strawberries and Roasted Bananas Topped with Sweetened Fromage Blanc

  • Oh, this I’ve got to try! I love banana breads and muffins but never seem to have ripe ones on hand when the craving strikes. I wouldn’t mind trying the roasted bananas on their own, as well.

  • Are you sure that’s 1 and 1/4 cups of sugar?

  • Tan Na: Yup, just double-checked it, and that is the correct amount of sugar.

  • You’re right (I just finished a batch with a little less sugar because I wasn’t sure–still delicious though). Thanks!

  • You’re welcome, Tan Na. Glad you loved the muffins as much as I do.

  • Saw this and now I’m counting down the hours until I get off work. Guess what I’ll be making tonight? 😉

  • Could you turn this into banana bread instead of muffins? Would you have to double the recipe?

  • Laurie:

    You probably could bake this in a loaf pan. You’d have to adjust the baking time. And I’m not sure if you’d have to double the recipe or not. If you give it a try, please report back to let us know how it came out. Thank you!

  • Thanks for responding! 🙂 And I will let you know, may try it this weekend.

  • It would be nice if you would include a breakdown of nurtients in all y our recipes.

  • George LeFebvre

    I was attempting to make the StreuselCoffee Muffins with Maple Graze listed in yesterdays Embracing High Heat Part II,. When Reading the recipe for the Streusel Ingredients, I noted that the method tells you to put flour, Brown Sugar and allspice , whisk together with the chilled butter;however, the ingredients list does not indicate quantity of flour to be used in this phase of the recipe? Please advise. Thank You

  • George LeFebvre

    Back again, Found what I was looking for Thank You.

  • I did try turning the roasted banana muffin receipe into bread, however, the middle got like a sink hole in it and did not want to cook thoroughly. I think I may try this again, using smaller loaf pans, my loaf pan may have been to deep. The flavor was excellent though. I did drop the temp to bake it at to 350 and gave it approximately 60 mins. I will keep experimenting and let you know if I come up with a good alternative. 🙂

  • Well, I made the banana muffins. It didn’t say reduce the heat when baking the muffins. I was a little nervous but I didn’t. OMG these are so good! I had been making what are call Napoleon Banana Muffins. These are even better. I will be watching for more good recipes.

  • Good Morning, Carolyn, We have a big problem with the Roasted Banana Muffins…they are too good. I’ve never roasted bananas in the oven before. The flavor is really intense. I also made these large muffins and got 8 It will have to stay out of my kitchen….as these will be gone in no time. Like the Chocolate Chocolate Chunk muffins and the Streusel Coffee Muffins….they were gone in a flash. Plus is even heated a chocolate muffin, cut it in half and covered it with vanilla ice cream and Hershey’s chocolate syrup. Trying out these recipes could become a very serious problem,,,my lack of will power! Have a great weekend. Lynn

  • I LOVE THIS RECIPE….I WANT TO MARRY IT!!!!!

  • After receiving this cookbook as a Christmas gift a couple of years back, I have made these and shared the recipe DOZENS of times. YUMMMMMMYY!

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