How To Use Up Yukky Overripe Bananas!

DSC_1605I am one of those picky people who can't stand eating a banana that gets into that slightly overripe phase.  I'm not talking black, gooey bananas…but I like my eating bananas to still have some bite to them.  Otherwise, they go into the freezer for future use.

They may look really black when they come out of the freezer, but don't worry, they're still okay on the inside.  If you let them thaw, you can just snip off one end with scissors and then squeeze out the banana, which will be so soft you won't need to mash it, just stir it into whatever recipe you're making.

Basics cookbook The following recipe is adapted from The New Canadian Basics Cookbook, by Carol Ferguson and Murray McMillan.  I basically used what I had on hand in the fridge and cupboard, but forgot one great ingredient this time, cinnamon.  So I've added in a teaspoon into this recipe.  The original recipe didn't have bananas in it, and also called for 3/4 of a cup of brown sugar.  I thought that was overkill with the bananas and molasses already in the mix, so cut it out completely.

To jazz up this recipe a bit more, you could use blueberries or some other frozen fruit instead of the raisins listed here, or use honey instead of the molasses.

Cooking tip:  Measure out your oil first in your measuring cup.  After adding it to the bowl, use the same cup, without rinsing, for the molasses.  The oil will help the molasses slip right out of the cup, getting most of it in the bowl, and making your measuring cup easier to clean.

Banana Bran Yogurt Muffins

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup molasses

2 mashed bananas

1 1/2 cups wheat bran

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 400F. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, yogurt, oil, molasses and mashed bananas until well-blended. Stir in the bran, and let stand for 5 minutes. In a smaller bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.  Add to egg mixture, and stir until just combined. Stir in the raisins, just enough to incorporate them into the mix.  Spoon batter into a greased or paper-lined muffin tin.  Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until firm to touch.  Makes 12 muffins.

According to my non-scientific nutritional count, each muffin contains about 248 calories.  You could try cutting down the oil by a quarter-cup and increasing the yogurt by a quarter cup to lessen the calorie count.

1 cup of raisins

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