When all else fails: Banana Hazelnut-Butter Muffins

Long day yesterday that involved driving and driving and more driving.

At least 8 hours of pure butt-sitting. Of really bad nerves that my highly unstable car was going to break down on me (again) at any second. Traffic jams. Wrong turns. Viewing apartment “dives” and getting completely stressed out because I can’t afford much. But everything is costly. And even the places that are supposedly “better” are incredibly expensive, small(!), and I question their location – Big.Time.

What does one do when all that happens, and it’s windy and cold and definitely Fall-ish out when they get home? Well, they (and by they, I mean me) go in, plop down and proceed to eat  muffins baked the previous day.

Normal? Nope.

But I don’t really give a damn right now.

What was it I had baked?

Well, only genius-ism in the form of Banana Hazelnut-Butter Muffins. Just the name is enticing.

They may be some of the simplest, tastiest muffins you’ll ever make. Yes, I know I said before that these were the best muffins ever. But things do have a way of going up and then down and then up again .

What I like about the following muffin recipe is its versatility. You can definitely alternate or substitute your “add-ins” in so many manners, while still using the base ingredients.

I started throwing together different ingredient variations. But, I can see myself changing it up every time (and this will be a staple recipe from now on) by using different butters, maybe some flavored oats, all milk, more or less chocolate, etc, etc, etc.

Oh yeah, and I guess I’ll mention that these have no added sugar. *Again, you know from my recipes, I love different variations and use all ingredients, sugar or no sugar, butter or no butter. I don’t adhere to a certain lifestyle*. (Sigh, I’m rather sick of having to do those disclaimers because of pathetic stalkers).

Anyhow, want the recipe? Gotcha.

Banana Hazelnut-Butter Muffins

Makes ~ 12 smaller muffins or 8 larger ones (next time I’m going larger )

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats
1/2 packet maple and brown sugar instant oatmeal (this is optional – I decided to have a little ‘fun’…and I may have just wanted to eat the ‘sugar’ settled @ the bottom…I’m horrible, I know)
1-2 scoops vanilla protein powder (totally optional - I rarely use this, but it was noted in a few of the recipes I was looking at)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 cup applesauce
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cottage cheese (optional)
1/2 cup Hazelnut-Butter
1/2 – 1 banana, mashed
1/2 cup raisins & chocolate-chips (honestly I don’t really even measure these – just throw them in there; I wasn’t sure if I just wanted plain muffins or what so when I poured the batter in to the pan I added more or less to each muffin’s batter as I seen fit)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease muffin pan with cooking spray or oil (important so they don’t stick to the pan! I prefer this to muffin liners now too since I found they used to stick to the liner as well. Well, not anymore!)
Combine all “wet” ingredients and mix thoroughly by hand or with mixer. *
Add dry ingredients and mix well.
Pour batter into greased muffin pan and bake at 350 degrees F for ~ 25 minutes (caution as oven times/temp.’s may vary!).
Let cool.
EAT.

*I actually just threw all the ingredients in a small food processor. It is just a super-cheap, tiny food processor (I think like 3-cup holder) with a lid that doesn’t lock properly…so (a) it doesn’t get used for much; and (b) when it does, it’s usually for the above purposes of me being lazy, but still having to do some mixing after the fact . Meh.

Pictures?

 

Would you make these?

It’s the weekend. Make some muffins. Watch a movie.

Or have to go to work in my case, while having a million and ten other things to do .

That’s life.

Don’t let anyone else bring you down.

That’s what I’m telling myself now when I need it most.

Peace.