Banana Muffins Redux

I know I already posted this recipe but I made these yesterday and the story changed.

Banana Nut Muffins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a 4 cup measuring cup/bowl(what do you call those things?)(mine are Pyrex which I love)

Mash enough bananas to make 1 1/2 cups(kids and potato mashers go well together for this step)

2 large eggs(again with the Kid action)

2/3 cup sugar(Kid loves mixing so let her work and give her plenty of room)

1/2 cup vegetable oil(exchange potato masher for a whisk and get ready to wipe down the counters)(the Kid is ecstatic that she has been trusted with a mighty whisk)(she'll keep this up until you tell her to stop)

In a medium large bowl combine:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt(1/4 tsp if using regular table salt)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts(totally optional but I find banana bread without walnuts to be just plain weird)(the Big Girl has changed her mind about nuts)(No I have no idea why).

Stir the wet into the dry until just combined(Kid takes off at this point when you won't let her eat the batter).

Set aside the bowl while you hunt through the cabinets for your muffin tins. Which are all the way at the back. Under other pans. Clang about-it releases frustrations quite admirably. Yes, you should have everything together before you start but some days one must fly by the seat of ones pants and just dive in-these could have easily turned into pancakes by stirring in some milk so, hey, no big deal.

The batter should be well rested by now so anoint those darn tins with your favorite non-stick cooking spray and get on with the filling!

Use a tablespoon to not quite fill the mini muffin tins.

Use an ice cream scoop to 2/3 fill the larger muffin tins.

It should work out perfect if, like me, you prefer orderly muffins. If you like giant ones or want them to rise up and spill over and get a crusty little edge I simply don't know how many muffins you can make.

Put your tins in the oven and bake the minis for about 12 minutes.

Leave the bigger ones in for another 5-8 minutes(total time for large muffins 17-20 minutes).

If you make a loaf let it bake for about an hour.

FORGET THE LOAF!!!!!!!!!!!!

Muffins are faster and you can eat them right out of the oven smeared with butter!

When they are cooled-and if you have any left-just bag those suckers up and put them in the freezer. 15-30 seconds in the microwave and you have breakfast or a snack rarin' to go!