Banana Muffins with Brown Sugar-Pecan Topping

This is a very simple, delicious recipe for those ripe bananas I always seem to have around. I assume all of you know that you can freeze over-ripe bananas to use in baked goods. Makes me feel better about not eating them in time!

Banana Muffins with Brown Sugar-Pecan Topping

1 3/4 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup mashed banana (about 2 medium)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
Brown sugar
Chopped pecans



Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 muffin cups, or use paper liners. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Lightly beat egg in medium-size bowl. Stir in mashed banana, milk, oil, and syrup. Pour liquid ingredients all at once into dry ingredients. Stir mixture briskly with fork until all ingredients are just moistened; do not over-stir. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Sprinkle tops with mixture of brown sugar and pecans. Bake at 400 degrees for 22 to 24 minutes. Remove muffins at once.

DONNA'S NOTES: I use 1 cup of whole-wheat pastry flour and 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour. Rather than stir with a fork, I fold the liquid into the dry ingredients with a spatula, which I think gives me more control. I use about 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 cup of chopped pecans, but you can vary that to your taste. These are also good without the topping - plain, but good for hosting your favorite jam or jelly!