Banana-Pumpkin Seeds Muffins

As a rule of thumb, I never refrigerate my fruits unless it gets really warm outside or they perish if left outside, like watermelon or berries, for instance. As a matter of fact, refrigerate most fruits causes them to lose flavor and gain a different texture. If you like your fruit fresh, put it in the fridge 20 minutes prior to eating it and you will get the full goodness of your fruit and the cooling effect you are looking for. 

One of the fruits that looses most when refrigerated is bananas. They, almost instantly, turn their skins dark brown and start getting mushy. For that reason, I buy them more on the green side so they easily keep up outside all week long. However, if the weather gets warmer really quick, there is nothing I can do to prevent them to ripe too much. That was exactly what happened this week. Within less than 24 hours the temperature rose more then 10 degrees and my bananas were turning into an almost inedible point. I did not want to throw them away because I HATE to waste food (it is something that makes me sick deeply into my stomach). So, I decided to make muffins!

Here it is my recipe for banana muffins (this recipe will rend about 12 servings):

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. 

In a bowl, combine well 2 cups of Graham cookies finely crushed, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, and 2 teaspoons of baking powder. In a separate bowl, mix 1 egg, 1 cup of milk, 2 tablespoons of honey, and 3 fully ripe bananas, mashed. Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and mix well.

Spoon the batter into paper lined muffin cups, top with raw pumpkin seeds, and bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serve warm or cold with your choice of tea or coffee.

These muffins turned out delicious and I was really happy for not having to waste my bananas.

The seeds give it a beautiful crunch and enhances the flavor of the fruit. They are perfect for breakfast or dessert and, if you make them small, even for a snack. 

Happy cooking and bon appetit!!