TWD – Allspice Crumb (ptth) Muffins

Is there a muffin god? Because if there is… s/he doesn’t like me.

Is there a crumb god? Because if there is… s/he doesn’t like me.

My muffins came out dry as a bone and the crumb just melted into a mass of brown sugar gloppyness. To be fair, the dryness was my fault. I must have left them in too long or measured a bit too much flour. THAT, I can live with.

But the crumb? what. the. hell?! Twice, this is TWICE now that my brown sugar crumble didn’t stay crumbly!! WHAT AM I DOING WRONG??

On the plus side, I think the baking gods winced a bit at the face I made and the loud bang as I pulled out the muffin pan and threw it on my stove top. I hope I scared ’em into submission because this is just… ridiculous!

The flavor of these is amazing. I added cinnamon (naturally) and I doubled the recipe because this was SUPPOSED to be breakfast for all of us that were moving the next day. 12 big muffins for after dinner dessert at the future mother-in-law’s house and 24 mini ones for breakfast. It was all so perfect. Or so I thought. I didn’t even have the heart to ask anyone to try one.

They weren’t horrible, I was just upset and pouting about my crumble.

If any of you have any trouble shooting pointers for my crumble… please, Please, PLEASE(!) send ’em my way. I need them. For my sanity. And by proxy, yours as well 🙂

For now my dear sweet crumble…. I bid you…

PPPPPTTTTTHHHHHHHHHH!!!! 😛

If you would like the recipe and a glimpse of what these are supposed to look like, visit Kayte at Grandma’s Kitchen table and oogle her other delicious goodies!! Click here for the recipe.

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Joy’s Banana Crumb Muffins

I originally bought 4 green bananas a week ago to make Melissa Murphy’s banana apple bread (yes, again). As I lifted the cookbook from the shelf I spotted a recipe I printed a few weeks ago that went along with a promise to the brilliant mind behind it to make them. I put the book down, grabbed that lonely piece of paper and went to work.

Afterall, I promised Joy.

NOoooooo… it had nothing to do with the fact that the recipe made my mouth water. Ok, ok I’m lying. You know me so well 🙂

It came together so quickly and the batter smelled heavenly. I only made a few adjustments: I made mini’s instead of big ‘ol muffins, I added mini chocolate chips (Joy will forgive me) I doubled the cinnamon, and I added extra butter to the crumble.

That last one was a bad idea. Mainly because I forgot to double the sugar and flour along with doubling the butter. So my punishment was a brown sugar glaze rather than a brown sugar crumble. The scrutiny. NOT.

Now, there are only TWO ways of getting this recipe: BEEEGGING Joy for it (as I had to, with needle nose pliers I might add) or from me. Just kidding about the needle nose pliers. Maybe 😉

Ingredients:

For the muffins:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (I doubled it)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  
• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 liberal handful of mini chocolate chips (optional)

For the crumb topping:

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (can use 1/4 teaspoon if you like a little extra!)
  
• 1 tablespoon butter, cut into little pieces
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin, or line with muffin papers. (I used a mini, sprayed with Pam)
2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In the bowl of an electric mixer fit with the paddle attachment, beat together bananas, sugar, egg, melted butter,  vanilla. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture, very gently, just until moistened and combined. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups using a large ice cream scoop.
3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean. (Mine took 15 mins in the mini muffin pan. Err on the side of caution: check them so they don’t come out dry)

They are light, fluffy, banana-y, chocolatey puffs of melt in your mouth…. JOY! Just pure, unadulterated joy.

(Puns totally intended)