Happy Valentine's Day! :)
It is Valentine's Day tomorrow. I am fully aware. But, I don't have any special recipes for the occasion or a round up for dazzling your significant other. I am not writing a valentine's post today. Well, not really.
I want to talk to you banana bread. That is all I want to do today.
Why do I want to talk about this relatively mundane item? Well, because that is how I started baking. My first fully made from scratch baked sweet was a banana bread. It made absolute sense. I love bananas, no, I really love bananas. A the idea of the wafting smells of baking bread has stayed with me since my Enid Blyton reading days.
For years, this bread used to be a rather common occurrence in my kitchen. I typically had bananas at home and whipping this up was usually a matter of no thought. And, suddenly, I stopped.
It just seemed too much of a pattern. I wanted excitement. I wanted challenge. Given the choice of a banana bread and something new to try, I gravitated to the latter more. This period was when I was in a quest for something missing in my life. It is indeed curious how my choices in the kitchen reflected this inner flight.
Then, as suddenly, I had the urge this weekend to bake banana muffins. It seemed right. I was rested. Back to feeling strong, happy and content.
So, what I am saying is, these muffins are not the pump your adrenalin, let's go skydiving kind you want to share with your Valentine. Nor are they the ones that say, you are sooooo awesome and I will die, just die, without seeing you every moment of the day.
They are however, the ones, that you want to put on the table, sip on coffee/tea in the early light of morning, look at your partner and smile. Because, the sparkle in your eyes is saying so much -
That you are happy he/she is in your life.
That you cannot imagine a day without and thankful for their being there.
That you feel full and happy when you are sharing life with them.
That simply sitting down and enjoying each others company is thrilling.
That you can laugh together about nothing and about everything.
That you have found home.
Banana Peanut Butter Breakfast Muffins
2 bananas, very ripe
4T butter
1-1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 generous T peanut butter
handful of chocolate covered espresso beans, chopped + some whole for garnish
1 egg
1 T milk
1 tsp vanilla essense
1 tsp baking soda
Whisk together the sugar and butter. Chop and mash in bananas. Add the vanilla, peanut butter, milk, egg and whisk together. Sift together the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Fold in the chopped chocolate covered espresso beans.
Divide the batter into 6 muffin cups. Top each with a chocolate covered espresso bean.
Bake at 400 for 25 mins and at 350 for 10 mins until muffins are browned on top and spring back when touched.
Cook on rack for 5 or so minutes and they are ready.