Final exams and the end of the semester are rapidly approaching, and with them comes the end of our “normal” quarantine. At the very least, I know that I am worried about what I will do with all of the extra time I have in lieu of Zoom classes and essays. School has been somewhat of a welcome distraction for me during these uncertain times, but soon I will have to find other ways to occupy my days. In times when I get bored being stuck in my house all day, I use baking as yet another coping mechanism. This is a great opportunity to build a skill, and I, for one, fully plan on becoming the next Ina Garten while in quarantine. Jazz up your daily Netflix, napping and studying routine with some freshly-baked goods, and before you know it you’ll be the new favorite family member. Whether you are missing Vanderbilt’s baked delicacies or you just want something to do, the Life section is bringing you a great banana muffin recipe to try out with what you’ve got in your pantry. 

Banana Muffins (recipe adopted from AllRecipes)

Although Vanderbilt has a delicious assortment of muffins at dining locations across campus (and we all have our favorites), my lovely banana muffins give Munchie Mart muffins a run for their money. They’re perfect if you’re looking for breakfast or a quick snack, but I personally love grabbing these from the kitchen right before my zoom class starts. These banana muffins have the perfect soft and buttery texture. If you really want to get crazy, you could even add nuts or chocolate chips to this recipe. 

Ingredients:

Muffin Base

1 ½ cups of flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of vanilla

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¾ teaspoon cinnamon

3 mashed bananas

 ¾ cup sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup vegetable oil

 Topping Ingredients

1 tbsp butter

2 tablespoons of flour

A pinch of cinnamon

1/3 cup of brown sugar

Instructions:

1.     Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2.     Mix together 1 ½ cups of flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg. 
3.     In another bowl, use a mixer to beat the bananas, sugar, egg and oil. 
4.     Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture. Spoon the batter into a greased muffin tin. 
5.     In another bowl, mix together all of the topping ingredients. Sprinkle this topping over the muffins
6.     Bake in the oven for 18 to 20 minutes. 

I hope that this recipe keeps you occupied for a couple of hours and jazzes up your regular routine. I know that my family and I had fun making this recipe, and even if you’re not a baker, odds are your standards for fun have died down significantly since coming home from Vanderbilt, so give it a try.