Strawberry Banana Muffins

Have I ever mentioned that I love strawberry season? There is nothing better than a sweet dark juicy strawberry, unless you add some flour and make that strawberry just as unhealthy as can be. :) I had a bunch of strawberries in my fridge that I wanted to make something with before they went bad. Most of the muffin recipes that I came across called for sour cream or plain yogurt. I did not have either of those items in my fridge so I kept searching until I found a recipe that did not need those ingredients. I originally found this recipe on The Food Librarian, then followed its source to Joy of Baking.


I am glad that I decided to make these muffins because they were quick and easy (no mixer needed) and they tasted incredible. The strawberry pieces really burst while biting into the muffins and the cinnamon adds the perfect amount of spice. The only thing that would have made them better is some almondy streusel on top. Everything is better with almonds. :)


Strawberry Banana Muffins
Adapted from: Joy of Baking

~makes 12 regular sized muffins~

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries (cut into small pieces)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Position rack in center of oven. Line the muffin pan with paper liners or grease with butter or a vegetable spray. Set aside.
In a small saucepan melt the butter. Set aside.
In a medium sized bowl whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and mashed banana. Add the melted butter to the brown sugar mixture and stir to combine.
In another large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gently fold in the berries, making sure they are coated with flour. This helps to prevent the berries from sinking during baking. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are just combined. Do not over mix the batter or tough muffins will result.
Fill each muffin cup about two thirds full of batter, using two spoons or an ice cream scoop. Fill any unused muffin cups halfway with water to prevent warping of the pan and/or over browning of the muffins. Place in the oven and bake until a tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.