Magdalenas de Banana

While at the grocery store over the weekend, I saw that Costa Rican bananas were on sale for a great price. They all looked a little over ripe, but as any baker knows, only over-ripe bananas will do if you want to make a great banana dessert.  I grabbed a bunch of them, wrapped up my shopping, and headed home. 

I already had a great recipe for pan de banana, (banana bread), and budin de banana (banana bread pudding), but I wanted something that I could make in kid sized portions as we were having a few children over to the house tomorrow.  Banana muffins, or magdalenas de banana, would no doubt be the perfect thing!  Now to just figure out a recipe for them!

Although I must admit that I was completely playing when I came up with this recipe, using whatever I had laying around in the fridge, I have to say that these things turned out absolutely fantastic, a rare thing when I experiment for sure!  These magdalenas de banana may be one of my most favorite muffins ever, as they are not too sweet or banana-y, and are very soft and cake-like.  These are borderline quequitos, or cupcakes, and if you want to ice them, my cream cheese icing would make these even more beyond amazing if you happen to have any cream cheese laying around in the fridge.  You can substitute millet flour or sorghum flour for the white flours to make these muffins gluten-free also.  

I found that these muffins cook best in regular sized muffin cups because the minis tend to come out less fluffy and more compact.  I made a few of both sizes today anyway since I knew the minis would be the perfect size for the little hands tomorrow. 

Magdalenas de Banana:

Ingredients:

1.5 cups of self-rising flour (You can also use regular all purpose flour with 1 tsp. of baking powder if you don't have any self-rising flour on hand)
1/2 cup all purpose flour (You can use 2 cups total of millet or sorghum flour for the gluten-free option)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cup granulated white sugar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 large over ripe bananas
5 Tbsp. half-and-half or heavy cream (can also use sour cream if that is what you have)
3 Tbsp. coconut milk (can substitute heavy cream if don't have any)
5 Tbsp. shortening (or 1 stick of butter if don't have any)
2 egg whites, whipped stiff
1 egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

• Beat egg whites until stiff and set aside.
• Beat shortening and white sugar and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.  
• Add egg yolk and beat again.
• Add in vanilla extract and beat again.
• Add in coconut milk, half-and-half and beat again.
• In a new bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, and salt.
• Gradually sift in flour to cream mixture and mix until well combined.
• Add in bananas and mix again until well combined.
• Fold in egg whites and mix gently until all combined.
• Pour batter into a regular sized muffin pan and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until done inside and golden on top.

Buen Provecho!