Banana Crumb Muffins
Delicious crumb topped banana muffins. I replace all the butter except 1 tablespoon with applesauce.
Delicious crumb topped banana muffins. I replace all the butter except 1 tablespoon with applesauce.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- muffins:
- 1 topping
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup butter melted
- 3 large ripe bananas mashed
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cold butter
- 1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)
- Carbohydrate 189.512860832325 g
- Cholesterol 63.2461111111111 mg
- Fat 19.4497636110982 g
- Fiber 7.4582139073916 g
- Protein 22.4969799998636 g
- Saturated Fat 8.91828619444239 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (316g)
- Sodium 380.338777777752 mg
- Sugar 182.054646924934 g
- Trans Fat 1.85050361110682 g
- Calories 1020 calories
Step-by-step
- Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix bananas, sugar, egg and butter and combine with dry mixture just until moistened.
- Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.
- For the topping combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
- Cut in butter until crumbly and sprinkle over muffins.
- Bake at 375° for about 20 minutes, until muffins test done.
- Cool in pan for 10 minutes.
Working with overripe fruit requires managing excess moisture without compromising structural integrity. Baking with a high proportion of mashed fruit introduces free water that can easily dissolve delicate crumb structures if mixing is overdone. Combining wet and dry components just until moistened preserves pockets of air necessary for a tender crumb. When cold butter is cut into the flour, sugar, and cinnamon topping, distinct fat particles remain solid; upon exposure to oven heat at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, those fat pockets melt and release steam, creating a crisp, contrasting texture against the soft interior. Understanding these physical transformations ensures successful execution whether baking fresh or handling day-old batches.
Leaving baked goods exposed to ambient air accelerates retrogradation, a process where starch molecules recrystallize and expel moisture, leading to a stale product. Storing these muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 48 hours traps migrating water vapor, maintaining the softness of the interior crumb while keeping the sugary topping from dissolving. If storage extends beyond two days, refrigeration is not recommended because cooler temperatures accelerate starch crystallization at a much faster rate, but freezing individual units preserves the crumb quality effectively.
Dense baked goods typically result from excessive gluten development triggered by overmixing the flour and liquid components. Stirring the batter only until dry streaks disappear limits gluten strands from forming too tightly. Furthermore, letting the baked items cool in the pan for precisely 10 minutes allows internal steam pressure to dissipate safely while the structure sets completely.
The Chemistry of Second-Day Storing
Leaving baked goods exposed to ambient air accelerates retrogradation, a process where starch molecules recrystallize and expel moisture, leading to a stale product. Storing these muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 48 hours traps migrating water vapor, maintaining the softness of the interior crumb while keeping the sugary topping from dissolving. If storage extends beyond two days, refrigeration is not recommended because cooler temperatures accelerate starch crystallization at a much faster rate, but freezing individual units preserves the crumb quality effectively.
Managing Texture Mechanics
Dense baked goods typically result from excessive gluten development triggered by overmixing the flour and liquid components. Stirring the batter only until dry streaks disappear limits gluten strands from forming too tightly. Furthermore, letting the baked items cool in the pan for precisely 10 minutes allows internal steam pressure to dissipate safely while the structure sets completely.
