Quite a while ago I received a cookbook called Sweet!: From Agave to Turbinado, Home Baking with Every Kind of Natural Sugar and Sweetener
by Mani Niall. I had thumbed through it several times and bookmarked quite a few recipes, but never found the time to make anything. I’ve been holding on to these pics for a couple of months now, so I thought I had better get these posted!
by Mani Niall. I had thumbed through it several times and bookmarked quite a few recipes, but never found the time to make anything. I’ve been holding on to these pics for a couple of months now, so I thought I had better get these posted!On a side note, there was an error in this recipe in the book. I contacted Chef Mani Niall through his website and he was super nice and very helpful with straightening things out :) The recipe below is correct.
As you’ll see from the picture below, I did have a couple of casualties when inverting the pan. LOL.
I love pineapple upside down cake and I love bananas. So when I saw the name of this recipe I knew it would be something I would enjoy. Even the kids liked the flavor of these muffins! So if you are like me and you get tired of making banana bread, try this delicious recipe on for size. These are perfect breakfast or brunch muffins!
If you prefer it as a dessert, pair it with some freshly whipped cream sweetened with powdered sugar and a little banana extract, sprinkled with cinnamon.
Banana Upside Down Muffins
from Sweet! by Mani Niall
Note: Mani suggests using dark muscovado sugar for the richest carmelized layer. I used regular dark brown sugar and they were fabulous. I can only imagine how good they would have been with muscovado!
non-stick cooking spray
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup dark muscovado or brown sugar, packed (I used dark brown sugar)
4 ripe bananas
Muffins:
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, preferably organic
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of salt
1/2 cup dark muscovado or brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup canola oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
3 tbsp whole milk
3 tbsp dark rum
1 tsp vanilla extract
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 F. Lightly spray a 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
To prepare the pans, place 2 teaspoons of the butter and 2 teaspoons of the brown sugar in each muffin cup. Bake until the mixture in each cup is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and cool for a few minutes. Peel the bananas and cut them on a diagonal into 48 thin slices. In each muffin cup, place two banana slices on the bottom and two banana slices along the sides.
To make the muffins, sift together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt in a medium sized bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil, eggs, milk, rum, and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add the egg mixture, and stir just until blended. Do not overbeat. Divide evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling them as full as possible (be sure to divide them evenly, they will be about 3/4 way full).
Bake until the center of a muffin springs back when pressed gently with your finger, about 18 minutes. Immediately invert and unmold the muffins onto a wire rack. Cool briefly and serve. The muffins are best the day they are made.
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these look so good!! a twitter friend tweeted about you and that's how I found you! lol
(Thanks Mel4him)!
I like the texture of these! thanks for sharing!
I love this idea! Ive done upside down with other fruits but not bananas! Yum!
If ya know me, too, I love bananas! I made the bundt cake last week, but I made so many (tried to make it healthier)changes that it was a little dry. I turned slices of it in to banana bread french toast and everyone loved it!
These muffins look awesome and I would have never thought of it. I love even the name alone!
this looks amazing so funny you contacted the author LOL
These look amazing! With caramelized bananas…how can you go wrong!
These are beyond amazing! YUM!
Reminds me of bananas foster only in muffin form – yum!
Holy cow that looks amazing! Adding you to my blog roll!
I work in Barrington – my husband grew up in the Schaumburg/Hoffman Estates area – it is a small world!
Happy Monday!
Ok this looks like it's to die for. I can't wait to try it. Thanks for the recipe!
What a great idea….they would be great with almond whipped cream!
I have some leftover bananas and you have inspired me!
Beautiful muffins!
Wow! Those look great! I'll have to try them. I love anything with bananas. These remind me of the pineapple upside down cupcakes that I just made for the 4th of July.
Those look sooo incredible! Wow, I never would have thought of banana upside down cakes. Yum.
Thanks Joey, and I thanked Mel too for referring you here! :)
Jennifer – before this I've only done raspberries and pineapple, these were a definite keeper :)
Katrina – hope to see you blog that banana cake, the french toast sounds awesome!
Chow and Chatter- It doesn't hurt to try! I figured if I could find the author I would get a faster response than the publishing company LOL
Leslie and Meg – Thanks! They were awesome :)
Barbara – Ooooohhh bananas foster… mmmmm
biz39 – wow, it is small! I lived in Hoffman Estates when I was in 4th through 6th grade!
Therese – Hope to see you blog about them if you try them :)
Debbie – oooooo almond! yummy!
SugarB – Let me know if you try them! :)
LilSis – I LOVE LOVE LOVE pineapple upside down cake. I haven't tried cupcakes yet though :) YUM!
Alisa – Thanks! They had definite yum factor!
These look so gooey and fantastic! Thanks for investigating the recipe!
I so need to make these. They look amazing!
Those look sooooo good. I love banana muffins, but these are above and beyond.
Oh…gimme!….gimme! some…please!
Divine!
Pam
http://www.alovefornewrecipes.blogspot.com
Arrived here through Tastestopping. First of all, your photo is beautiful and secondly, I cannot wait to try these muffins. What a neat idea.
I am not a great banana fan but these have a lot of appeal.
Amanda, I just found your blog this week and can I tell you how in love I am? I love the recipes, the crafts..Give me more! I can't wait to continue exploring.
I made these for our breakfast this morning. So delicious!!
What a fantastic idea! These look sticky and sweet – everything an upside down cake (or muffin) should be.
Wow these look amazing! I am definitely making them.
wholesomewomanhood – so glad you enjoyed them!! :)
Canuck and Heather – thanks guys, they were really good :)
Looks like a perfect little breakfast goodie to me! Love that caramel goodness.
Megan – definitely good for breakfast!
What a great recipe. I love natural sweeteners, too, but a lot of the time, I'm too chicken to experiment with them. Thanks for posting this, it looks delicious.
These definitely look delicious would like to try think I will try to make them as sugar free as possible
I blogged these =] I sourced you
http://svereb.blogspot.com/2011/04/banana-upside-down-mmuffins.html
i cant stop eating them my friend made them got me addicted to them and now i cant stop maken them so i could eat them. thanks for the recipe there really awesome
Thanks everyone, so glad you are enjoying them!
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