Banana Muffins with Big Blackberries and Sugar Crust

Banana Muffins with Big Blackberries and Sugar Crust

Makes about 20 muffins.

Happy New Year's eve! These are great muffins... and freeze well too. Whip some up and start your new year right.

Source: Christmas with the Cake Mix Doctor cookbook

Vegetable oil cooking spray, for misting the pans

8 T. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 c. packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 small banana, very ripe

3 c. self-rising flour

1-1/2 c. buttermilk

1/4 t. ground nutmeg

1/2 c. large fresh blackberries (about 12), rinsed and drained

Coarse sugar, for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mist the bottom of 20 muffin cups with cooking spray. Set the pans aside.

Place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture is light and creamy, 1-2 minutes. Add the eggs and beat again until the mixture lightens and is lemon-colored, 30 seconds. Slice the banana into the bowl. Add 1-1/2 cups of the flour, 1 cup of the buttermilk, and the nutmeg. Stir the ingredients just until combined, 10 strokes. Add the remaining flour and buttermilk and stir with the spoon to just combine the ingredients, 10 strokes more. The batter will still be a little lumpy. Fold in the blackberries.

Spoon 1/3 cup of the batter into each prepared muffin cup, filling it three-quarters full. Sprinkle the tops with the coarse sugar and place the pans in the oven.

Bake the muffins until they are lightly golden and just spring back when they are lightly pressed with your finger, 21-23 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven; immediately remove muffins from pans by running a dinner knife around the edges of the muffins.