Jane’s Sweets & Baking Journal -- janessweets.blogspot.com -- May 2012

(This is an original recipe, not adapted from any other source.)

Banana Brown Sugar Muffins with Oat-Streusel Topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 12 muffins cups with paper liners or use baking spray. (Note: I've taken to doubling the paper liners whenever I make muffins or cupcakes lately. It really seems to help insulate the bottoms from over-browning, a problem that too often plagues me!)

Ingredients for the streusel:

1/2 cup of cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks

1/3 cup of quick or old-fashioned oats

1/4 all-purpose flour, unbleached

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 small pinch coarse kosher salt

Ingredients for the muffins:

2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached

1 and 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

2 eggs, large

3/4 cup canola oil (or use melted, unsalted butter if you prefer--slightly cooled)

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup half & half (or milk)

4 small, very ripe, bananas (or 3 medium size, or 2 large), well mashed

Make the streusel first: 

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the dry streusel ingredients. Using a pastry blender, a fork, or your fingers, cut/press in the butter chunks until the streusel looks evenly lumpy. (The lumps should be no bigger than about the size of blueberries, but you don't need to make them terribly small.) Refrigerate the streusel until you're ready to put it on the unbaked muffins.

To make the muffin batter:

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl, thoroughly whisk together the eggs, oil (or melted butter), brown sugar, vanilla extract, and half & half (or milk). Add the mashed bananas and mix in.

Make a well in the large bowl of dry ingredients, and pour in all of the wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula or large spoon, stir just until combined, scraping the bowl regularly. There should be lots of lumps (over-mixing the batter will cause tough muffins, so don't get carried away).

Divide the batter evenly into the muffins cups using a portion scoop. Heap the batter up on each one. Sprinkle a generous spoonful of cold streusel on top of each muffin, very gently patting it in as needed to help it adhere.

Bake the muffins on the middle rack of your preheated 400 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes; check them with a toothpick inserted into the center. If it comes out clean, and the muffins are lightly golden on top, they're done. Remove them quickly from the pan, and let them cool on a rack, or serve them warm.