Browned Butter Banana Muffins

I'm not a huge fan of banana bread. I'll eat bananas occasionally, but banana bread has been a slow and acquired tolerance. Any tolerance I have is actually due to this recipe, which comes from Food Network celebrity Claire Robinson.

This is a very simple recipe, just 5 ingredients (or 7 if you have to make your own self-rising flour). The browning of the butter really elevates the flavor profile of the muffin, and the large amount of bananas in this recipe to flour makes this very moist and fresh tasting. If you don't like banana bread but are ok with bananas, give this recipe a try; it may become your go-to banana recipe as it has become for us.

Browned Butter Banana Muffins (adapted from Food Network)

Ingredients:
4 ripe bananas
1/3 cup agave nectar or honey
1 stick unsalted butter
1 large egg
1 & 3/4 cups self-rising flour (see note below)

Note: You can make your own self-rising flour. Add 1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder + 1/4 teaspoon salt for EACH cup AP flour; make as many cups as you will need, mix evenly, measure out volume called for in the recipe and save the rest.

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line/grease a 12 cup standard size muffin tin. 

Peel the bananas and place them in a large bowl. Add the agave nectar or honey and mash with a fork or potato masher until only a few lumps remain. 

Melt the butter in a light-colored skillet and then continue cooking on medium heat stirring constantly with a heat-proof rubber spatula. After all the water has cooked off, the bubbles will start to get big and crackly and then the butter will turn from pale yellow to amber, with solids accumulating at the bottom of the skillet. At this point, add about 1 cup of the mashed banana mixture and mix to combine. Cook a few more minutes until the banana-butter mixture has turned a darker shade of golden-brown. Take off heat.

Add cooked butter-banana mixture to the rest of the banana mixture and whisk to combine. Whisk in the egg. Fold in the flour in two batches until just combined. Do not overmix. Divide the batter evenly amongst the muffin cups and bake at 375 degrees for ~25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the centers are springy when poked. 

Cool muffins in pan for five minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Some deflating may occur. Serve immediately or place in freezer bag and freeze for future defrosting and eating.