Don’t-cringe-when-I-call-them-wholesome Banana Nut Muffins

When I hear something called “wholesome” it makes me think of flavorless cardboard with a side of glue.  The texture is never right, and the flavor always leaves you wanting a Twinkie.

About 4 years ago, a close friend brought over some “wholesome” muffins that she had just baked.  Be still my heart. There were even funny ingredients like spelt and millet.  Mill-what? Then, as if those ingredients weren’t appealing enough, she proceeds to tell me that she milled her own flour.  Before that it never occurred to me where flour came from.  I guess if I thought hard enough I’d eventually mumble out in a low, very uncertain voice, “wheat?”   And it certainly never occurred to me that you could create it at home.  Quite reluctantly I tried one of her muffins.   Big surprise of the story is that I LOVED them.  Not the same way you love a chocolate-chocolate-chip-bigger-than-your-head jumbo muffin from Costco.  Those smack you upside the head with sweetness, and leave you feeling nothing short of disgusting after you’ve consumed one or two.  The muffins that Jen brought over had a really pleasant subtle sweetness from the honey, and the crunchy millet gave it both texture and even still a little more sweetness.  I didn’t feel run down after I had one (it helps that they weren’t the size of a soft ball).  She brought me four of them, and they were gone by the next evening.  Then I proceeded to do what I do best – devour the internet  - in search of the benefits of whole grains (truly whole grains, not the kind that are being marketed in Froot Loops), and why milling at home, or at least freshly milled flour, is preferred.  I was hooked, and somehow had to convince my husband of the same benefits so he would be on board with me buying a grain mill and buckets o’grain.  I’ll spare you the details, but that took a little while.

As it turns out, and that most people know by now, the benefits of whole grains are staggering.  Everything from the healthy oils, fiber, protein and nutrients make these truly power players in the food arena.  One thing that I’m really NOT into is the whole concept of “super foods”.  With extreme diets like raw food eating popping up, you’re seeing more and more people claim the benefits of a particular super food, and how it will cure all your problems from ugliness to stupidity.  It’s my personal belief that a balanced diet is key to longevity, not putting all your eggs in one super food basket.  What’s great about whole grains is that they can be made into just about anything that you’re used to consuming the white counterpart of.  Sure, there are something better left to traditional industrial milled white flour, like croissants, but the flexibility of whole grains make them super appealing.  Equally, I’m not into “faux foods” and think its scary how the majority of our super markets are comprised of processed foods containing ingredients that neither a 3rd grader or PhD could pronounce.   I wish more people were concerned by the fact that a Twinkie has a longer life span than a Golden Retriever.  I digress…

Here is the recipe for truly delicious and truly healthy whole grain banana nut muffins that has both the flavor and texture calling you back for seconds:

Yields: 12 – 14 muffins
Active time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:

2.5 cups freshly milled flour – (I used a 1:1 ratio of hard red wheat to hard white wheat)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon – best you can get your hands on
1/4 tsp nutmeg – preferably freshly grated
1/4 cup pecans – I used pre-chopped dry roasted pecans from Trader Joe’s
3 Tb amaranth – optional!  Millet would be a fantastic substitution

1 cup buttermilk**
1 egg, large
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup honey – extra to taste
1 tsp vanilla
3 small mashed bananas

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Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.   Grease a 12 cup muffin tin, or place in liners.

Measure and mix dry ingredients into mixing bowl.  In another bowl, mash bananas then add other wet ingredients.  Combine all ingredients until well blended, which just traces of raw flour still popping up.   Divide evenly amongst tin, and bake for approximately 18 minutes, checking regularly with toothpick after 15 min.  Rotate pan after 8 minutes for an even bake.

One tip when working with both honey and oil – always measure and pour the oil first, so that when you use the same measuring cup for your honey, your honey slides right out with minimal sticking and subsequent scraping.

**When you don’t have buttermilk on hand, its easy to create a good substitution in a pinch.  Just mix 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and stir.  I like to let it sit for a few moments before adding other ingredients, as it just makes me feel better  : )