Banana Crumb Muffins

I had a trio of overripe bananas staring me in the face, so I decided to take full advantage and bake up some banana muffins while Madeline napped.  These muffins have the added bonus of being topped with cinnamon and sugar – pure deliciousness.  I wanted to bring some to playgroup this week so I made up a few regular sized muffins to keep at home for Dennis and also baked up some mini muffins for the kids.  I made the muffins this morning and have already eaten two of the mini muffins – oops.  I should probably put them out of sight so there are at least some left over for the kiddies…

Banana Crumb Muffins (adapted from AllRecipes)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

3 bananas, mashed

1/2 cup white sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon canola oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease muffin cups.

In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugars, egg, vanilla, and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Mix in canola oil until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

Bake in preheated oven, about 10 minutes for mini muffins and 18 minutes for regular sized muffins.  The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Booskerdoo Coffee

One thing I rarely mention on my blog is my love of coffee.  When I was pregnant the one treat I never felt guilty about was my morning cup of coffee.  In a world where Dunkin’ Donuts are popping up on every corner, a good cup of coffee is becoming increasingly hard to find.  That’s why I was so excited when the folks at Booskerdoo Coffee sent me some of their coffee to review.  Into the French press it went!

Booskerdoo is based in Monmouth Beach, NJ and was started up by James Caverly.  James had a career in Advertising and Marketing but eventually decided to take his home roasting to the next level and open up his own shop.  Booskerdoo emphasizes the freshness of its roasts – the beans are roasted and shipped on the same day.  James maintains strict quality control and any beans that aren’t sold within the first week of being roasted are donated to the Red Cross. 

The area where Booskerdoo is located was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy, though the store was lucky enough to escape with minimal damage.  Booskerdoo donated 10% of its sales from the Jersey Diner Style Blend to the Monmouth Beach Fire Department as a thank you for their hard work during and after the storm.

The Diner Blend was one of two samples the company sent me.  The Diner Blend is, as James puts it, their “rendition of a classic.”  New Jersey diner coffee isn’t known for being bold and assertive, and the Diner Blend is a good roast for people who enjoy a milder flavored coffee.  It is a definite step up from what you’d get in most diners as it lacks the bitterness that you often find.

The second sample I was provided with was their Black & Tan, which blends light and dark roasts.  This blend was much more my style as it has a strong, chocolaty flavor and goes down smooth.  I would be happy to add this coffee to my regular rotation, and even happier to do so from a company that is so supportive of New Jersey.

*Though samples were provided, the opinions are my own.

Booskerdoo Coffee

http://www.booskerdoo.com

36 Beach Road, Suite 9 

Monmouth Beach, NJ 0775