Mimi's Banana Bread Muffins

Sometimes the simplest of recipes have the best result. This banana bread is just that. There's nothing fancy about this recipe, in fact you'll think it rather basic. But basic is good, basic is actually perfection here. I've tried lots of recipes for banana bread and it never fails that I fall back to this one which happens to be my mom's. The bread is never dry, never heavy and when toasted and loved with butter it might just stop wars. You think I'm kidding here but if you ask Mr. Doozie he might just agree :) Thank you Mimi for letting me share it here.

Mimi's Banana Bread

In a large mixing bowl combine:
3 overripe bananas (did you know you can toss bananas in the freezer when they start to turn and pull them out whenever your ready to bake?)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup applesauce
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs

In a separate bowl combine:
2 cups of flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg

Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

If you want to make actually banana bread, grease and flour two loaf pans and fill each a little over halfway with the batter. Bake for 1 hour.

For muffins, choose your pan and grease and flour it. Fill each cup halfway and bake for about 20 minutes.

After timer goes off, check the center of a muffin or the bread for doneness. If it's still gooey add time in 3 minute increments. If the top is looking too brown you can tent it with foil to keep it from burning.

Let cool 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completly. Store in the fridge.

I've discovered that this bread freezes beautifully. If I have company coming into town I'll make it earlier in the week and freeze it right away. The night before you want to serve the muffins, pull them from the freezer and let defrost in the fridge over night. When you wake up in the morning preheat the oven for 350, set the muffins back into their pan and heat in the oven for 10 minutes. Your guests will think you got up at 4am to bake up a batch just for them ;) Hostess with the mostess right here! Ha!

Enjoy!