Banana-Walnut Muffins

(by Carol Lippert Gray)

1 1/3 c. flour

1/4 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

3/4 t. baking powder

2/3 c. sugar

1 t. lemon or orange juice

3 oz. (3/4 stick) butter

1 1/4 c. peeled banana

2 eggs

1 c. chopped walnuts or chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine sugar, lemon or orange juice, and butter.

Process until well mixed, about 20 seconds.

Scrape sides of processor bowl, add banana, and process for 5 seconds.

Add eggs, and process for 5 seconds.

If using walnuts, add them and pulse once.

Add flour mixture and pulse 4 or 5 times, or until flour disappears. (Don't overprocess.)

If using chocolate chips, fold them in.

Bake in paper-lined muffin cups until a toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

Alternatively, bake in a well-greased loaf pan for about 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out dry. Note: I save overripe, peeled bananas in the freezer to use here. Let them defrost on the counter for a bit before using. Sometimes there's a little more batter than the recipe indicates because the saved bananas are a little bigger. In that case, I just bake the excess in small, well greased tins.

(Read Life Of A Muffin, the story that accompanies this recipe.)