LIFE LATELY

Almond Banana Muffins

Chika Gujarathi

Let’s be honest here. No matter how good, muffins are just muffins. Just like cupcakes are just cupcakes. They don’t change lives. They don’t perform miracles. People who swear by them need to find better things to be passionate about.

That said, there is a difference between a good muffin and a bad grocery-store-711-boxed-mix-muffin. First, the size – no muffin should be as big as ones face; it just isn’t necessary. Second – muffins should taste more than just like sugar. Third – they should have a nice light crumb without being greasy and cakey.

Usually I make muffins using the basic recipe in Joy of Cooking and have no complains. But today I had a few specific ingredients in odd quantities that needed to be used. So I went straight to Ratio, by Michael Ruhlman.

If you plan to buy only one cookbook in your lifetime, buy this one. It dissects food recipes into it’s most basic structure teaching you not just one recipe but one formula that can be turned into a million recipes using your imagination. 
Today I flipped to the muffin section. The ratio for muffins is 2 parts flour, to 2 parts liquid, to 1 part egg, and 1 part fat. I pulled out my kitchen scale and started with the eggs; I had to use up two which totaled 94 grams. I adjusted the remaining ingredients based on the egg weight. I added a pinch of kosher salt, some baking powder, and some sugar for sweetness. That’s all.

What came out of my oven was the best batch of muffins I have ever eaten. Not life changing but so so tasty. And it’s a recipe that I created all on my own.
Almond Banana Muffins, inspired by Ratio
94 grams organic eggs at room temperature (EGG)
94 grams coconut oil melted (FAT)
94 grams almond flour (FLOUR)
94 grams mixture of bread flour and whole wheat flour (FLOUR)
138 grams mashed bananas, approximately 2 medium very very ripe bananas (LIQUID)
50 grams lactaid 2% milk (LIQUID)
94 grams turbando raw cane sugar.
pinch kosher salt
2 tsp baking soda
Mix egg, coconut oil, banana, and milk in one bowl. Mix flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a second bowl. Mix dry into wet till blended. Do not over mix. Scoop into 12 muffin tins. Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes. Turning once after 10 minutes. Middle rack.
This is the first time I baked with coconut oil. It adds an amazing level of fluffyness without the greasiness. The cane sugar added a little bit of crunch throughout the muffin.
Future tinkering idea:
 – pear puree, Gorgonzola cheese.

Published by Chika Gujarathi

Chika Gujarathi is a freelance writer, author of the "Hello Namaste!" Bilingual board book series for children, and a self professed "Creative Doer". Her work has appeared in national and local publications on topics including lifestyle, travel, books, art, and motherhood! She lives in Raleigh, NC with her husband and four children.

One thought on “Almond Banana Muffins”

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.