Espresso Banana Muffins

Recipe from Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson (Celestial Arts)

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. sea salt
1 ¼ cups chopped toasted walnuts
1 tbs. fine espresso powder
6 tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/r cup natural cane sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup plain yogurt
1 ½ cups mashed overripe bananas (about 3 bananas)

Preparation

Heat the oven to 375˚F, position the racks low in the oven and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, ¾ cup of the walnuts, and the espresso powder in a bowl and whisk to combine.

In a separate large bowl or a stand mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the sugar and then the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla, yogurt, and mashed bananas then briefly and gently mix in the dry ingredients. Overmixing will result in tough muffins.

Spoon into the prepared muffin tin, top with the remaining ½ cup walnuts and bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then turn out to a rack to cool completely.

Yields 12 muffins.