Banana Nut Muffins

I like to pride myself on being a pretty decent cook. I get enjoyment out of it, I'm not usually intimidated by it, and I do a pretty good job most of the time. But we all have our own little failures right? Today was one such day, sort of. I had two overly ripe bananas that were on the verge of attracting fruit flys, so I decided to make banana nut muffins. I hate to eat raw banana and muffins or bread is pretty much the only way I will consume them. When their texture is utilized in a positive way rather than a nasty and mushy way and when their flavor becomes woven with other, better, tastes is when I can stand the yellow fruit, before then, no way! I like the recipe I found years ago through a google search and I'm sorry I don't have the source to link to. This recipe is healthier than your standard muffin recipe and even more so by my slight changes. I usually use half AP flour and half whole wheat flour (I feel irises the muffins a nice nutty taste), I cut the oil to two tablespoons and throw in a few tablespoons of applesauce (you want some oil for texture), and have used a scant measure of the sugar (overly ripe bananas and applesauce make up for the lost sweetness). I omit the lemon zest completely. Now I guess I should say that I usually make it a scant measure of sugar unless it is today...in which case I forgot the sugar completely and baked them without. I didn't realize until a bite or two in, but as soon as I thought something was wrong, my mind shifted to the non addition of the sugar. They actually didn't taste all that horrible, just super healthy. I will probably continue decreasing my sugar down to a lot less to make this even healthier. And I may experiment with different savory options on this base recipe now that I know it is decent without the sugar. With the sugar, the muffins taste healthful, but still enjoyable. They are usually soft and have a good balance of flavor. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup mashed bananas
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites slightly. Stir in bananas, sugar, oil, and lemon peel. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir in walnuts. Fill muffin pan cups 2/3 full.
4. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned. Remove muffins from pan.

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