Comfort (again)

Muffins. I'm not a muffin master like my friend Theresa, but I do make a pretty mean banana muffin. I'm one of those girls that buys bananas and then doesn't eat them quickly enough so they end up in their skins in the freezer saved for a rainy baking day. Sunday definitely qualified, so after the minestrone was done, I moved on to some warm, gooey (but not cheesy!) muffins to fill that growing need for comfort food. The particular recipe I like is from good ol' Virginia Hospitality, a recipe book put out by the Junior League of Hampton Roads, Virginia and dates back to that time of culinary masterpieces - 1975.

You can normally find this lovely cookbook in any giftshop at any historic house museum in Virginia. It's kind of required. Or, in this day in age, you can buy it online too. Within the text are recipes from some of the FFV, as well as recipes adapted from historic house museum's dining rooms. Interspersed are drawings of some of the great homes of Virginia, so you get a little history lesson along with your food. While many of the recipes use lard or shortening a little too frequently for my taste, there are some great treats in here that I make quite often: spoon bread, for instance, and these muffins are just two. Here you go - enjoy!

Banana Muffins (from Virginia Hospitality)

5 large ripe bananas, mashed (I keep these in the freezer and thaw them for a few hours before using)
1 egg
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 cup sugar (my first try using Trader Joe's organic and it worked great)
1 t baking powder
1/4 cup butter, softened (yes, I use real butter)
1 cup mixed walnuts and semisweet chocolate chips (the recipe calls for all nuts but a like a little sweet, plus, I didn't have enough nuts on hand)
1 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 375. Mix all ingredients except flour. Gradually add flour, stirring lightly. Pour into greased muffin tins and bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Yields 2 dozen muffins.