Peanut Butter and Banana Muffins

Getting Karston to eat can be challenging, but really fresh food is a good start. He ate fresh-from-the-deli fried okra this morning, after refusing day-old then several-days-old fried okra this past week. When we got back from the store, Karston ate 2/3 of an unpeeled banana after turning his nose up at the 2/3 of a banana he started eating a few days ago.

So here I was this afternoon, with most of a banana that the kid wouldn't eat, and that I didn't want to throw it out. (A lot of my cooking starts this way: better make something before it goes bad.) I found this recipe for Peanut Butter and Banana Cookies that I decided to try. However, what I had only looked like 1/2 cup of banana, so I had to modify the recipe to cut it in half. (I can't follow a recipe anyway.)

2 Tbs margarine, softened
1/4 cup peanut butter, warmed
1/2 cup bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup unbleached enriched flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Splenda
1/2 tsp baking soda

I preheated the toaster oven to 375°F, and covered the tray with tin foil. I melted the margarine (I used Blue Bonnet Light with half the fat because that's what I have) and mashed in the banana pieces. Then I stirred in the vanilla, and I couldn't resist a shake of cinnamon too (I love cinnamon). I added a scoop of peanut butter (I just guessed at a quarter cup of Smuckers Reduced Fat Natural Style). Then I sifted into the bowl the flour, sugar, splenda, and baking soda (I actually measured these ingredients). I mixed it with my immersion blender because the peanut butter was still cold and unworkable. Next time, I would warm the peanut butter with the margarine and just mix it with a fork so there are a few banana bites and a few peanut butter bites. I don't know if that will taste better, but I'd like to try it. I'll probably also try adding 1 Tbs molasses too.

I made one batch as cookies on the toaster over tray. Since that's my only toaster oven tray, I put the remaining batter in my silicone mini muffin pan (after spraying it). I baked them for 15 minutes in the toaster oven, but 12 minutes in a regular oven is probably right. I got 11 cookies from the first round and 12 mini muffins from the second round. After his nap, Karston put down one cookie and two-and-a-half mini muffins very quickly. When it's very fresh, Karston likes this recipe! Since it's a small recipe now that I could probably cut in half again, it's just right to dole out small fresh batches as long as we have a little bit of banana in the house. Which we don't, right now.

Cooking, Recipe, Toddler