Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Veselka Cafe's Banana Crunch Muffins



If you like muffins with a crunchy, crispy top then these muffins from Veselka of East Village, New York, fit the bill! The recipes includes a streusel for the topping but I baked them up without and loved them all the same. I find streusels a little messy and they also decrease the portability of a muffin.

New York Magazine describes Veselka Restaurant as, "Blessed with 24-hour service and a perfect location for feeding the East Village's après-club crowds, Veselka has become the stop for late-night diners." New York is such a foodie's dream. If I visited, I wouldn't even know where to begin my taste tour. Maybe one day I will get a chance to visit. In the meantime, cookbooks like this one are a good start.

Banana Crunch Muffins
Makes 12 large | Veselka Cookbook

Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cups flour
2 tbsp rolled oats
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

Batter:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 large eggs
4 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 large bananas, sliced
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1. Topping: Place all ingredients in a small bowl and cut in butter until resembles small pebbles. Chill while preparing batter or make ahead, cover and refrigerate for future use.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour or line a 12 cup large muffin pan. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy then add vanilla and eggs. In a separate bowl combine flour, powder and salt.

3. Add 1/3 flour mixture to butter and eggs and beat until smooth then add 1/3 buttermilk and mix. Continue to alternate until all flour and buttermilk have been incorporated. Gently fold in bananas and walnuts. Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling to 3/4 full. You may need a few extra muffin cups for extra batter.

4. Bake approximately 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before unmolding and cooling completely. Store airtight.

2 comments:

cocoa and coconut said...

Yes! I love crunchy-top muffins. And I love eating them straight out of the oven. Thanks for the great recipe.

Sticky Penguin said...

Those look delicious - I love the mix of the squishy and moist banana with the crunchy walnuts. And, like you, the list of places to visit in NYC grows ever longer (and that's after making a substantial dent in it on my first trip there last year. Will definitely give these a try - and thanks for visiting me, too!