I was suffering from baking withdrawal, and two black bananas in the fridge have been staring at me. So before dashing off to a much-delayed Target run this evening, Carter and I made this recipe from a San Jose Mercury Home Plates column on “healthier” banana muffins that kids will eat. Not a hard-to-guess secret: The recipes feature chocolate chips—which also happens to be key to getting me to eat something.
At first, Carter was going to “just watch” me bake, which is a new thing, but he never stays on the sidelines long. In addition to adding and mixing ingredients, today he measured the baking powder for the first time. Tip: The physics of the baking-powder container made it easier for him to scoop and level (using the peeled back foil in the container) five times using a 1/2 teaspoon, than to try to fill up a whole teaspoon. (Another day, I’ll sing the praises of baking’s built-in math lessons.) For the first couple of scoops, I stood behind him and guided his hands. Then I got the: “I can do it myself, Mommy.” And he could. Letting him spray the muffin tin with cooking spray wasn’t quite as tidy, but he had fun.
Carter didn’t have time to try a muffin before bedtime. I took some down the street to our neighbors. Carter’s friends Paul and Sonia, who are also 4 but have a later bedtime, were making up my favorite brownie recipe with their mom. Considering that they each child polished off a muffin while I was there, I’d say this recipe gets the kids’ seal of approval.
Banana chocolate-chip oatmeal muffins
1 3/4 all-purpose flour
3/4 oats, old-fashioned or quick-cooking
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 salt
1 cup mashed overripe bananas (about two medium)
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, preferably canola
2/3 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt until well-mixed. In a small bowl, whisk banana, milk, egg, and oil until blended. Add all at once to flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Do not overmix! Fold in chocolate chips. Divide among muffin cups.
Bake 18 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean. Leave in pan five minutes, then cool on a wire rack. If a muffin sticks in pan, run a small knife (or thin spatula if using a nonstick muffin pan) around it and gently lift out.
Based on a recipe contributed by Tereasa Simpson to the June 4, 2009, San Jose Mercury News Home Plates column. The original recipe also contains 1/8 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 cup chopped nuts, and 1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips.
