Let's Face It. It's a Banana Cupcake.

I want to call these muffins. I really do. They are semi-healthy with the bananas and flax seeds, but once I put the glaze on they officially crossed-over to cupcakes. Banana Cupcakes with a Honey Glaze that is.

I took my grandma's recipe for Banana Bread and did the switch-a-roo on the eggs with the magical flax seed mix, poured it into muffin tins, cupcake pans and made, well, cupcakes. My kids helped me with the creation of these precious cakes, all the while drooling and constantly asking if they were "done" yet. Once the batter was in the cups, they each got a spoon to lick to their hearts content. No worries, 'cause there's no eggs!

I've gotta admit, I wanted to stick my face in that giant bowl and lick it like Clifford the Big Red Dog would. I refrained, as children do EVERYTHING you do. My daughter offered me a lick off her already slobbery spoonage and I did that classic adult pretend taste...I know, she's my daughter, but it was so drool-y. "Mmmmm! You made that? What a great baker you are!" I chimed. She smiled, all the while knowing I didn't really taste it. Then she says her line, the same line she says any times she partakes in a sharing activity, "She's so nice, Mommy!" I love that she gets her pronouns all mixed up.

My oldest son exclaims, "My did it, Mommy!" (also, pronoun impaired) as he takes the last lick from his spoon. I look down and there's wads of batter flung on the sides of the cabinets and splats on the floor. I smile. He gets me every time with his "my did it" phrase.

Daily "My did it" Routine

Me: "Bubba, did you go potty?"
Him: (chirps) "My did it!"
Me: "Great job! Did you wash your hands?"
Him: (irritated) "My did it ALREADY!" (but he didn't, just tryin' to fool 'ol mom)

I don't generally give my kids a lot of sweets. It makes them wacko. But there is always an exception. These cupcakes, while sugary, are even more so with the glaze on them. But I figured, if we're going to go the sugar route, let's go all the way. I put glaze on only a few for a special treat and topped with a Teddy Graham. They thought that was so amazing. I love that I can be their superhero for dumb stuff like that. Oh, please don't grow up children.

When I made these I was thinking quasi-muffin and quasi-healthy. So that led to me thinking it would be a great after school snack. Maybe if you beefed it up with some nuts and more fruit it could be called "healthier". Or don't and use them as birthday cupcakes for your son's or daughter's class birthday party. Either way, you win.

The traditional Banana Bread recipe and video (click here for that) is made with eggs and poured into loaf pans. So just imagine flax seed goo for eggs and cupcake pans for loaf pans.

If you want to hear something borderline "eww", my mom and I used to eat slices of banana bread with a slathering of softened butter topped off with a slice of American cheese. I don't eat it that way anymore, but my mouth waters at the thought of it. It's just too naughty to partake of. Why it's so good, is that it's the perfect mixture of fat, sugar and salt. Absolutely delish.

The following recipe is a double recipe of the original. It's a mammoth recipe. What it makes is 24 cupcakes and 1 regular loaf. I suppose it could also do 12 cupcakes and 2 regular loafs. Anyways, the cupcakes freeze beautifully. So I have a stash in my freezer.

Grandma's Banana Bread Made into Cupcakes *Egg-Free Version

prep time: 10 min. (30 min. if you have pint-sized helpers doing the mixing)
bake time: 25 min. makes for cupcakes
                50 min. for a loaf
oven temp:350 degrees


1 c. extra light olive oil

2 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. hot water mixed with 4 tbls. ground flax seed, mix and let set (it will turn very gooey)

6 medium, very ripe, bananas

4 c. flour

2 tsp. EACH baking soda, baking powder and salt

1 c. light sour cream

2 tsp. vanilla



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mash bananas with potato masher until most lumps are gone. Set aside.

Put all dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, into a bowl and whisk to combine.

In your mixer mix together oil and sugars, 1-2 min. Add flax seed mixture, bananas, vanilla and sour cream. Mix very well on medium speed. Turn mixer to low and add flour mixture in 2 batches. Mix until well combined but not over beating it.

Prepare your pan. Take one regular sized loaf pan and spray with a non-stick spray that has flour in it, I like Baker's Joy. This next step is optional, but helpful. Tear off a piece of parchment paper the length of your pan. Press it down into the pan letting the excess hang over the sides. This creates "handles" to pull your hot bread out with later. Then spray the parchment with the non-stick spray, just in case.

Pour the batter into the pan, doing your best to evenly distribute it.

For the cupcakes, line 24 cups with cupcake liners and fill 3/4 of the way full.

Place them in the oven on the middle rack. Set timer for 50 minutes (for the loaf) and 25 minutes (for the cupcakes) and wait for the magic to happen!

Test the bread/cupcakes by tapping it lightly with your finger. If the top of the bread is not matte and doesn't bounce back, then it's not done and bake 5 min. more until it is.

Let rest in pans on a wire rack for 10 min. Then remove and let it continue to cool another 10-20 minutes to slice.
 
Honey Glaze (optional but oh, so yummy)
 
Glazes 24 cupcakes
 
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 tbls. (approx.) water
1 tbls. plus 1 tsp. honey
dash of vanilla
 
Mix and let stand briefly. Check the consistency. It should be easy enough to smooth over cupcakes with a spoon and slightly drippy. Top each cupcake with a Teddy Graham, if you like.

 
 Friends, if you have not checked out my profile on the Project Food Blog contest, please do so! Just click on the button under my photo on the little widget up there. It will take you directly to my page. Our first submission is coming up and it's to be on why we should be the Next Food Blog Star! The prize is 10 grand! Wow! So anyways, I'll let you know when the voting starts...

Hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend.