Strawberry Banana Muffins

It's strawberry season here in Israel, a time we look forward to all year long! 

Throughout the winter, when these sweet delicious beauties are in season I'm constantly munching on them, but sometimes my eyes are bigger than my stomach and I'll buy just a few too many from the mountains of them in the shuk. 

When the strawberries get a little mushy I'll throw them into a blender with some other fruit and yogurt to make a refreshing smoothie, but another great way to use up these overly ripe berries is in baking. So I thought strawberries and bananas work great together in a smoothie how would they taste together in a muffin? The answer: pretty darn good! The sweet bananas give great flavor to the batter and then you get little bursts of sweet and slightly tart strawberries and it all come together in one delicious muffin. 

Strawberry Banana Muffins 

2 cups flour 

2 tsp baking powder 

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

3/4 tsp salt 

1/4 cup oil 

1 egg 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1/3 cup sugar + 2 Tbsp for sprinkling on top

1 cup mashed banana - about 3 medium 

1 cup diced strawberries - about 8-10 whole 

Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C 

Spray a standard-size muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray or line with paper liners. 

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

In a liquid measuring cup mix together the oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients along with the sugar and mashed bananas. Mix until just combined. Make sure not to overmix your batter or else your muffins will be dense and chewy. Fold in the diced strawberries. 

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin, sprinkle the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, and bake for 18-22 minutes. 

Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. 

Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days or pop them in the freezer. 

Yield: 12 standard-size muffins