Banana Nut Muffins with a Maple-Bourbon Glaze

Some might splash in a little Baileys in their morning coffee. Jokes all around of tapping into ones Irishness. Living as an American abroad, I sometimes find myself tending to downplay such Euro familial connections, and instead, head straight for what America stands for. This morning, that happened to be maple syrup and bourbon. 

Yes, banana nut muffins livened up with some mapley-bourbon goodness. 

The muffins are fairly straightforward, with only a hint of maple and bourbon. But the glaze that transpired a few hours later, well, that makes them worthy of bringing to work.

For the first time, I used a bit of gelatin in a glaze. I think it helped the structure a bit. If you've got the extra ten minutes to wait around for it to 'bloom' in the water, I say give it a go. Otherwise, skip it, and the glaze should be a bit thinner, but still work out if the muffins aren't traveling far.

The deep maple-bourbon flavor marriage is grounded with a bit of whole-wheat flour and oats. Absolutely toothsome, and not overly sweet. Out. of. this. world.

Continue to Recipe...

Recipe: Banana Nut Muffins with Maple-Bourbon Glaze

Serves 16 - 18

Time 60 mins

Dry Mix:

1 1/2 cup (190g) flour (half white, half wheat)

1 cup (90g) oats

2/3 cup (145g) sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 cup toasted almonds, chopped

Wet Mix:

1 egg

3/4 c (175ml) milk

1/3 cup (75g) melted butter

1 Tb bourbon

2 Tb maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla

4 ripe bananas, mashed

Glaze: 

Adapted from Evil Shenanigans

1/8 sheet gelatin (or 1/8 tsp powder)

1 1/2 Tb water

1 Tb bourbon

1/2 tsp vanilla

3 Tb maple syrup

2 cups (250g) powdered sugar

1) Heat oven to 400°F / 200°C. Grease a muffin pan. Start the butter melting. 

2) Mash bananas in a medium bowl. Add the wet mix ingredients to this (including the now-melted butter.) Mix will.

3) Sift together all dry mix ingredients in a large bowl. 

4) Add the wet to the dry. Scoop/pour into muffin form. Bake 20-25 minutes.

5) Make glaze: Soak gelatin in the 1 1/2 Tb cold water for 10 mins, then gently heat on the stove in a little pot. Whisk together the bourbon, vanilla, and maple syrup. Add in the gelatin water. Whisk in the powdered sugar. Stick in the fridge to thicken a bit. Pour glaze over cooled muffins.

Enjoy.
Jo