Maple Banana Muffins

A few Sunday's ago, while i began gathering my ingredients to put together my mother's banana muffins, i decided to forgo the usual route.

You see, we are maple farmers, my husband & I.  We make syrup in late winter, early spring.  This task of splitting wood to fuel our boiler, of tapping, collecting, boiling & bottling is so very much a part of our family.  Maple syrup is surely a treat, but it is also a natural resource for us.  A pure sugar that we have at the ready, at all times.  After the spring rush of our regular & wholesale buyers, we almost always make sure we have enough to get us through the year.  

Yet i still find myself buying white sugar.  And every single time i ask myself why am i doing it?  

In my mind, i have wanted to make the switch for awhile now.  Over the past few years i have begun compiling recipes that use honey & syrup.  I have thinned the 'usual' cookbooks and switched them out for new & refreshing recipes.  To my great relief, some of my really well worn cookbooks from the early 19th century, already use syrup & honey, once again making me love them that much more.  

I can see us using maple syrup and honey more than white sugar.  However, i am by no means a purest, so i do realize that there will be the need, now & again, for some old fashioned chocolate chip cookies :)  

My goal is to feed our family a balanced diet.  One of mostly local & homegrown foods.

On that wonderfully warm Sunday morning, i started the switch.  

Maple Banana Muffins

1 stick of butter

1 cup of maple syrup (i usually use grade A, dark amber or B for baking to enhance the maple flavor)

2 fresh eggs

3 mashed bananas

scant over 2 cups of flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking power

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream butter and syrup.  Add eggs & bananas.  Sift all dry ingredients into wet mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 

Enjoy.