Never toss a perfectly rotten banana

We've all seen it happen, that shopping spree at the farmer's market or grocery store inevitably tossed out with the morning garbage. Wasted food. Wasted cash. Don't throw out your hard earned dollars! Make compost. Then make muffins!




Banana Muffins with Walnuts and Carob Chips

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 5 over-ripened bananas, mashed (totally blackened bananas are perfectly fine)
  
• 1 cup vegan sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup water ( plus 2-3 tablespoons, if necessary)
  
• 1/4 cup non dairy milk
• 1 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup carob chips or your favorite vegan chocolate chips
• 1/2 C walnuts, coarsely chopped

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease your muffin tins or use liners.

In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl mix the sugar and the oil until thoroughly combined. Add the mashed banana to the sugar and oil mixture and mix. Add in non-dairy milk, 1/4 cup of water and vanilla. Toss walnuts and chips into the flour mixture and coat pieces. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet and mix everything well. A few good scrapes and turns with a spatula should do. Avoid over mixing, you don't want rubbery muffins. Not all bananas are created equal. If mixture seems too thick, add in a little extra water a couple tablespoons at a time and gently mix to combine.

Evenly pour the batter into the muffin tins using an ice cream scooper or large spoon. Fill each cup about 3/4 of the way or slightly higher for a nice, puffy muffin top. Bake for about 30 - 35 minutes. Insert a toothpick or knife in the center of the muffins, if knife comes out clean they are done!

Now the next time you see your friends tossing out their rotten bananas, give 'em the stink eye. Then take their bananas and make these muffins or pour the batter into a loaf pan and make banana bread (bake for an extra 10-15 minutes). You can also mash up a rotting naner into your favorite pancake batter for banana pancakes. I suppose you could invite your produce tossin' friends too.