Banana Buttermilk Muffins

This is another recipe from the Penzey's spice catalog.  I made these one day when we had a bunch of kids staying over here.  The visiting kids all liked them, and they were gone quickly.  I love using buttermilk in baked goods.  And I love the recipes from Penzey's!

Banana Buttermilk Muffins

adapted from Penzey's

Yield: 16

1 1/2 Cups sugar
1/2 Cup butter (1 stick), softened
2 large eggs
1 Cup mashed ripe banana (2 large)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 Cup buttermilk
2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 Cup finely chopped walnuts

Optional Topping:
3 TB. brown sugar
2 TB. crushed walnuts
1-2 tsp. cinnamon sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the banana and vanilla. Stir the baking soda into the buttermilk and then add to the batter and mix. Add the flour and nuts and stir the batter until it is just combined. Spoon the batter into a greased and floured muffin tin. For a special touch, combine the topping ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle on the muffin tops before baking. (I simply sprinkled cinnamon-sugar on top of raw muffins before baking.) Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes. Yield: 16

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