Another confession…..I am a total tweaker.  I’ll make something the way it’s written once and before I’m even finished the recipe has already evolved and changed in my mind.  This one is a great example.  Cooking Light has a fabulous banana bread recipe that I have been making for years.  The structure hasn’t changed much (eggs, yogurt and butter provide the fat and the binding ingredients) but I’ve added flax seed for crunch (and avoids the nut-allergy issues), swapped the all-purpose flour for a combo of AP and whole wheat or all white-wheat flour for added fiber and protein and cut the sugar in half.  If I’m feeling especially generous I’ll toss in half a cup of mini chocolate chips. The purchase of my latest favorite kitchen gadget, the one-tablespoon cookie scoop along with a few mini-muffin pans ensures that I can make these quickly, and do so at least once a week.  They’re eaten as fast as I can make them and are a great during or after-school snack.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour (240 grams)  white-wheat OR 1 cup all-purpose and 1 cup whole wheat
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
• 1/3 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt
• 1/8 cup flax seed
• Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife or measure by weight. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
3. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist.  Add flax seed and mix briefly.
   

   I use my stand mixer and toss the bananas in whole.

4. Scoop batter into mini-muffin tins coated with cooking spray.
   

   Fill using one-tablespoon cookie dough scoop. Do not overfill.

5.  Bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.  (Can also bake as a loaf.  Coat an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and bake for 1 hour).
   

   Cool in the tray for a few minutes then finish cooling on a wire rack.