Jamaican Banana Muffins

Rummy yummy for your tummy about says it all. Honestly, yesterday's Jamaican Banana Muffins are about the best I've ever made no doubt due to a few rather surprising ingredients.

From Cooking Light via myrecipes.com, I took the liberty of changing the recipe and made muffins rather than bread because they're an easier grab and go solution to breakfast. I also used all butter instead of 2 tablespoons each of butter and cream cheese because when we've Big Guy's home smoked salmon in the house we never have any cream cheese. I added extra lime 'cause we've a ton of Mexican limes we harvested from our tree and unsalted toasted cashew nuts instead of pecans because I had 'em on hand and pecans are still worth their weight in gold at the moment. 

In case you're wondering what makes these muffins the best other than the aforementioned along with their light texture, it is the addition of dark rum to the mix for added flavor...oh and coconut for crunchiness. Who'd have thunk it would make such a huge difference! (Ya, who am I kidding. Anything with an eighth of a cup of dark demon rum in it as to be good, right?)

I glazed our muffins with a mixture of icing sugar thinned with more fresh lime juice instead of the brown sugar/lime/rum/pecan/coconut thing Cooking Light had going and I have to say the little gems are absolutely awesome - not too sweet, definitely moist and far from boring. 

Grilled Tri Tip Steak with leftover Mashed Potato Pie

By the way, here's what we had for dinner on Friday night, and just so you know last night we hit our favorite pizza shop for dinner. As you can tell, there hasn't been much action going on in JBug's Kitchen. I would have posted yesterday but my computer hit the skids and needed repair and that was on top of not 1 but 2 flat tires on the Jeep the day before so I'm pretty darned thankful we're at the end of what has been a highly stressful week.  We're getting back to normal now... whatever normal is shaping up to be these days! 

Jamaican Banana Muffins (from JBug’s Kitchen, adapted from Cooking Light via myrecipes.com)

9 ounces all-purpose flour (approx. 2 cups)

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup softened unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1 cup mashed ripe banana

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons dark rum

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup toasted chopped unsalted cashews

1/4 cup coconut

Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Zest and juice of 1/2 lime

Rum as needed

Preheat oven to 375. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Set aside. In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar and beat well. Add egg and beat until well combined.  Combine zest and juice of lime, banana, milk, rum and vanilla together. Add to butter sugar mixture alternately with dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Fold in nuts and coconut. Spoon into muffin cups, dividing evenly between all. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Cool briefly on a wire rack.

Combine sugar, lime juice and zest together. Add rum as needed for a thin glaze. Drizzle over warm muffins. When cool, store in an airtight container or freeze. Makes one dozen.

A year ago -  Ina's Roasted Chicken on Croutons

Two year's ago - Taco Salad

 

Comments

[Lea]

Lovely looking muffins - I LOVE the addition of the lime - gonna have to do that next time! - and the glaze! - and the rum! I tell you it is crazy to me when cashews are less expensive than pecans!
Sorry about the tires! - That is such an annoyance!

[June]

The lime makes a huge difference Lea and of course the rum too, although you could leave it out and just add more vanilla. Might be darned good with a little freshly grated nutmeg in the mix too. I know...imagine cashews cheaper than pecans. What on earth???

[Lorraine]

I am not a big cashew fan, but the muffins sound good otherwise. I mean, how can you go wrong with bananas and rum?

[June]

Lorraine - and Big Guy's not much of a banana fan, but he ate one because of the rum (I think). LOL