Last week was so busy it flew by and I didn’t even get to post once. {It’s been a while since that’s happened… the not posting part, not the busy part.} Since hubby was out of town all weekend, the pup and I had a little “unplugged” getaway over at my Mom’s house for company and a change of scenery, hence the lack of Facebook posts, etc.
Though it was nice to disconnect from the digital grind for a short time, I am SO ready to get back to posting, especially with Easter happening in less than a week! {Where does the time go?!} I’m also going to be wrapping up my Tasty Travels: NYC posts in the very near future, and have quite a few drafts waiting to be shared.
Before I get to all that good stuff, I’m excited to announce that a winner was chosen for the Palm Beach Parties Personalized Tray Giveaway that ended last week. And the winner is…
Tina P.!
Congratulations, Tina! I hope you’ll enjoy your tray {and maybe even send us a picture of how you personalize it? Because we’re nosy that way. ;)} And thanks again to the lovely Carla from Palm Beach Parties for providing us with such a fabulous giveaway prize! {Be sure to check out her shop if you’re into preppy & adorable goodies!}
Ok… now food.
Today I’m sharing a recipe for some extremely moist and delicious Stuffed Banana Bread Muffins that I baked up on Friday to bring to my Mom’s over the weekend. I was originally planning on making a traditional loaf, but was running short on time, so I turned the recipe into muffins. Right before putting them in the oven, I decided they needed a little something… peanut butter. And chocolate chips. Because those two ingredients have never made anything worse.
The peanut butter sinks down as the muffins bake and leaves you with a little surprise “plug” of peanutty goodness that makes these even better… and they’re pretty darn good on their own. {I actually made a handful with PB, some with PB & chocolate chips, and some plain.}
This is what it looked like hot from the oven. NOM.
I plan on spending some time coming up with some fun Easter foods that you can bring to the table this weekend, but until I get crackin’, I’ll leave you with a few favorites that would work great for an Easter Brunch and some sweet treats that make great {and easy!} additions to an Easter potluck.
Adapted from Flour Bakery’s recipe via Food Network
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Scant 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
3 1/2 very ripe bananas, mashed
2 tablespoons non-fat Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Add-ins:
Semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped {optional}
Reduced Fat Peanut Butter
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a muffin tin* with non-stick cooking spray or line with liners. {Note: Make sure you spray the tins well if you aren’t using liners, these like to stick.}
2. Beat together sugar and eggs until very pale and thick, about 3-4 minutes. Slowly pour in oil to combine, then add bananas, yogurt, and vanilla extract and continue to mix until everything is well incorporated.
3. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl.
4. Sprinkle the flour mixture into the banana mixture a bit at a time, mixing until just moistened. {Don’t overdo it or you’ll get gummy, dense banana bread.} The batter will seem pretty liquidy, but that’s ok. Note: If you’d like to use walnuts in your muffins, this would be the time to add them in and mix by hand so the mixer doesn’t break them up too much.
5. Using an ice cream scoop, spoon batter into muffin tins until 2/3 of the way full. Spoon about a teaspoon or so of peanut butter onto the tops of the muffins and push down just a tiny bit with your finger. {It’ll sink as it bakes.} Sprinkle tops of muffins with chocolate chips if desired.
6. Bake for about 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. {Don’t forget there’s molten peanut butter in there so you’ll have some stickiness, but you should be able to tell whether it’s batter or PB.}
7. Let cool for about 5 minutes in the tins, and then use a small paring knife to loosen from the tins and help you pull out the muffins. Cool on a wire baking rack.
*You can make this as a loaf, too, just pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is golden brown, testing with a skewer to ensure that the center is cooked through.
Hi, I’m Dianna! I share elevated yet easy recipes and effortless entertaining ideas that help you cook with confidence and host with joy. Around here, fresh ingredients, thoughtful details, and warm hospitality make every meal feel special. I’m so glad you’re here!
3 comments
Jess @ On Sugar Mountain
Mmmmmm stuffed muffins…could my day get any better? 😉 Oh how I could eat a dozen of these for dinner tonight (or breakfast tomorrow!)
thekitchenprep
Thanks, Gen! I wish you were, too! I need to start baking some shipable goodies, although it's probably better for your diet if I don't. 😉
Genevieve
Oh my gosh Dianna, all of these sweets look amazing! I wish I was in Florida to be your official taste tester! 🙂