Banana Muffins with Streusel Topping

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter a 12-count standard size muffin pan.

To make the streusel: mix flour, superfine sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter and vanilla with your fingers in a small bowl until combined and crumbly. Set aside.

For the muffins: Sift flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a bowl using a hand mixer) beat the butter on high speed until smooth (1 minute). Gradually add the sugar and continue beating, scraping sides when necessary for about 5 minutes. Beat in lemon zest and vanilla. Slowly beat in the eggs, then the milk.

Reduce mixer speed to low. In thirds add the flour, alternating with the sour cream, until the full amounts of flour and sour cream have been added. Do not over-beat. Fold in the bananas.

Use an ice cream scoop and fill the muffin cups equally and generously. Sprinkle the tops with the streusel.

Bake for 10 minutes then reduce temperature to 375°F and bake until muffin tops are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes more. Remove pan from oven. Cool them in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the muffins and allow them to cool completely.

This recipe is adapted from Sarabeth Levine’s cookbook “Sarabeth’s Bakery: From My Hands to Yours”, which is quickly becoming one of my favourite books to bake from.