Banana Raspberry Muffins

Banana muffins are one my new favorite thing - they make a great breakfast on the go and stay great tasting all week long, due to their moistness.  It took me a few tries to find a banana bread recipe that I really liked - one that tasted of bananas and was not dry.  I finally discovered my secret ingredient - yogurt!

I then turned the banana bread into muffins and added in some raspberries and a sweet topping.  Delicious! Leave off the topping if you want a slightly healthier breakfast.  I now get really excited any time I find a collection of browning bananas in our kitchen.

(adapted from various allrecipes.com recipes - here and here).

Muffins:

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup yogurt
• 2 -3 bananas, mushed with fork
• 1 cup frozen raspberries (fresh work too)
• chocolate chips - optional

Topping:

• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tb Flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tb butter

`DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place paper linings in 12 muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter and sugar. 
3. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix well. 
4. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the butter mixture until smooth. 
5. Finally, fold in the yogurt, mushed bananas and raspberries. Spread evenly between muffin cups – I make a dozen large muffins, but you could make 18 smaller ones.
6. Make and sprinkle on crumb topping (see below), if using.
7. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, The muffins should spring back when firmly poked.  Remove muffins from pan after 5 minutes, and cool on a wire rack.

Crumb topping:

1. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, I use my fingers to mush up the butter. 
2. Spread crumb topping evenly over muffins – yes it’s a lot of topping!
3. Bake as directed above. 

If making a loaf instead of muffins - cook for 60 minutes in a greased loaf pan.