“Blue Banana Muffins,” Michelle told her, placing the muffin pan on the wire rack sitting on the counter. “I’m trying an experiment.”
“Blue Bananas?”
“That’s just the name I made up for them. It’s like your Blue Apple Muffins. Bananas and blueberries with a streusel topping.”
“It smells successful to me,” Hannah said, taking a seat at her kitchen table. “The scent woke me up from a really great dream. I was napping on a beach on a tropical island with Ross on our honeymoon. The scent of your muffins is probably why I dreamed it in the first place.”
“That sounds like a great dream. I’m sorry my muffins woke you up.”
“That’s okay. Who knows what could have come next? Hurricane, shark attack, whatever. I can hardly wait to taste one. They smell fantastic. Of course I’m a little too sleepy to judge anything right now.”
“Here you go.” Michelle poured a cup of coffee and set it down in front of Hannah.
Hannah took a sip of the strong, hot brew and smiled. “You’re a lifesaver, Michelle.”
“That’s good, just as long as I don’t have to save you from that hurricane or that shark.”
Michelle poured a cup of coffee for herself and took the chair across from Hannah. The two sisters sat in companionable silence for several minutes, sipping their coffee.
“You said your muffins were an experiment?” Hannah asked when she was capable of rational thought.
“Yes. I’m trying to use frozen bananas.”
“Do you mean the chocolate-covered ones?”
“No. Just frozen bananas.”
“Where do you buy frozen bananas?”
“You don’t. You freeze them yourself. Suzi does it all the time.”
It was too early to figure that out. Hannah got up, fetched the carafe of coffee, and brought it over to the table. She poured herself a second cup, took a sip, and turned to her youngest sister again. “Who’s Suzi?”
“Jessie’s mother. Jessie’s one of my housemates at college and her mother lives in Phoenix. Jessie says Suzi’s been freezing bananas for years.”
“Overripe bananas?” Hannah asked, remembering an article she’d read.
“No. That’s the beauty of it. Suzi buys bananas when they’re on sale and she buys a lot of them. She chooses only bananas that are perfectly ripe. Then she peels them, puts them in freezer bags, and freezes them for up to six months. Maybe longer, but Suzi’s never last that long!”
“Interesting.” Hannah breathed in the scent again. “Are your muffins cool enough to eat?”
“Maybe not, but I’m willing to try one if you are.”
“I’m willing. They smell really good!”
“They are. Jessie brought some from home the last time she went to visit her mother. They don’t taste like regular banana muffins.”
Hannah’s mouth was watering as Michelle got up and returned with a muffin for each of them. “I think they’re a lot better than any banana muffins I’ve ever tasted. Let’s see what you think.”
Hannah removed the cupcake paper and split the muffin in half. She picked up one half, juggled it a bit from hand to hand, and then she took a bite. “Yummy!” she said after she’d swallowed. “They don’t have that perfume-like smell that always reminds me of fruit gone bad.”
“I know. That’s what I’ve always noticed about banana bread and I tried to make it once with bananas that weren’t overripe. That’s when I discovered that you can’t do it. The bananas won’t mush up unless the peel has a lot of black spots.”
“I know,” Hannah said, taking another bite of her muffin. “I even tried to do it with a food processor, but the bananas wouldn’t liquefy the way they’re supposed to for banana bread or muffins.”
“Well, these do. I think it’s because they’re peeled and then they’re frozen. All you have to do is thaw them and they liquefy. And the taste is different.”
“It certainly is!” Hannah was thoughtful as she took another bite. “Perfectly ripe frozen bananas would work for everything from muffins, to banana bread, to banana pudding.”
“So you like these muffins?” Michelle asked.
“I love them! I like them so much that if there was a muffin challenge, we’d make them for the judges!”
BLUE BANANA MUFFINS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
Before you begin: take 2 medium-sized frozen bananas out of the freezer. (See the instructions at the bottom of recipe for freezing bananas.) Remove them from the bag and put them in a bowl on the counter to thaw.
The Muffin Batter:
? cup melted butter (1 and ? sticks, 6 ounces)
1 cup white (granulated) sugar
2 beaten eggs (just whip them up in a glass with a fork)
2 teaspoons baking powder
? teaspoon salt
? teaspoon cinnamon
? teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated is best)
? cup fresh or frozen blueberries (no need to thaw if they’re frozen)
2 cups plus one Tablespoon all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
? cup milk
1 cup thawed frozen banana
The Crumb Topping: