The Betty Crocker Project : Blueberry - Banana Muffins

Back in the day - when Dan and I were still very new and navigating our way from "Just Friends" to True Love - we had a very awkward conversation about Banana Bread. Because in all the years we had talked about our most private feelings and the most intimates details of our lives . . . we had never baked together. Night after night we stayed up late on phones and sofas - talking and playing video games - mostly talking A LOT - but never baking.

So years later - I had to ask " Do you like Banana Bread? With Walnuts or Chocolate Chips? Or both?" He looked at me like I was asking about breathing Oxygen and said "Who doesn't like Banana Bread?" . . . I won't bore you with the rest. It really was just a lot of "What kind of Peanut Butter do to you like?" and "Do you butter your toast before you put on the jam?" - You know the conversation. We've all had some version. . . because no matter how well you think you know someone - Till you know what they eat - You will NEVER really know them. 

This brings us back to Banana Bread.

It was because of this conversation and the special role Banana Bread played in our relationship ( the first thing we ever baked together ) and because we had about 7 VERY ripe bananas in the fruit basket - that we started with Betty Crocker's Banana Bread - well muffins really - because there is just 2 of us and muffins are easier to hand out to visitors.

We replaced the traditional processed All-Purpose Flour with Organic Whole Wheat Flour ( of course ) and replaced 1 of the eggs with an over-ripe banana and the other with Ener-G Egg Replacer. We also went with the Blueberry version rather than Walnuts - using some organic Blueberries from Trader Joe's. I would love to say we started this experiment off with a Fourth of July fireworks display - but this is not a movie. Our first assignment in this experiment was more of a "Way to Go Kid!" banner.

 

They are a bit moist and after a day - the lovely little perfect peaks sunk.

They may have seemed better - if we hadn't actually baked some Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins recently that were pretty fabulous. . . So for those of you  looking to make a really good Banana Muffin - Here is our recipe - the one we have used all these years - since that first conversation.

Adapted from  Compassionate Cook : Please Don't Eat the Animals

• 1/3 Cup Margarine 
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 2 - 3 Ripe Bananas - Mashed ( depends how big and how much of the thing you can use - it should equal 2 Big Bananas) 
• 1/2 Cup Soy Milk
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

With an electric hand-held mixer - mix Margarine and Sugar and then mix in Flour, Baking Powder, and Baking Soda. Add the remaining ingredients and mix - until there are no lumps. Fold in Chocolate Chips. Using a ladle - fill muffin wrappers about half way and bake till the tops are golden and you can pull a toothpick out without any goo on it.