Peach-Pecan Banana Muffins.

I've never been one to follow recipes very well. I love cook books and food blogs but I use them as inspiration rather that strict guidelines. I always change things, substitute or add. For cooking it doesn't really make huge differences but when it comes to baking recipes, one really has to know what will replace what in a recipe. You can't just, say, replace butter with oil. The consistency is different; the butter molecules interact with the sugar to make those little bubbles, oil won't!! Same thing for sugar v/s honey. It's a little tricky and it takes a few trials and errors to find out what works. Or a good cook book that explains it all...
Today I wanted to use up 2 very ripe bananas in either a banana bread or more muffins. I chose to bake muffins. I'll make a quickbread of some kind tomorrow or the day after anyway, I have a big swim meet this week-end and I need some yummy low-fat, high protein and healthy eats for in-between races.
Ok, so. Back to baking. Same as my cooking habits, I love switching things up in goodies as well. Muffins are great for that. And so is my most favorite book, again, "Healthy Oven"...(I'm gonna slowly bake my way through this thing I can feel it!!). The recipes in there are well explained, and substitutions are easy to make. This recipe is actually quite different than the original, so let's say it's "loosely adapted from...".

Ingredients:

Dry::
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour(o 1 1/2 cup TOTAL of the same kind of flour...doesn't really matter. just NO bread flour!!)
1/2 cup quick oats
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Wet:
2 ripe bananas, smashed up.(or as the recipe called for, 3/4 cup applesauce. fruit purees act in a similar way as butter with the sugar because of the pectin...it's all chemistry, right?)
3/4 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 TBSP canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup dried peaches, cut up in small pieces
1/2 cup roasted UNSALTED pecans
*or, as you might have guessed, any other type of fruit and/or nuts you wish...

Directions:
Set oven at 350F, rack in the middle, oil-spray muffin tins.
Mix all dry ingredients, set aside.
Mix all wet ingredients, beat/whisk until slightly frothy, for about 2 minutes.
Add wet to dry, with fruits and nuts, mix until just combined, without overmixing!
*Here it will seem very wet, but it's all good. Put a baking sheet under the muffin tray in case it spills!
Scoop into muffin tins, bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes and unmold carefully to a cooling rack.



**Today, I somehow forgot to set the timer...oups...but I kinda remembered the time it was when I put them in, it was half way through The Bold and The Beautiful(...i know...), so I was able to wing it...they came out fine.
This will give you about 9-10 muffins.
Enjoy!