Banana Nut Muffins

Content contributed by: Jane Ong

These muffins are the best Banana Nut Muffins I ever tasted even though I was very confused after watching Tyler Florence's demonstration on the video and reading the printed recipe. I was torn between using 1.5 cups of flour as told by the video and 2 cups of flour as written on the recipe.  Also, Tyler said in the video he was using 1.5 cups of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extra, while the printed recipe instructs the use of 1 cup of brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extra.  After a lot of head scratching, I decided to follow the printed recipe exactly.  I'm glad I did because these muffins turned out to be very delicious with a great texture and a heavenly aroma.  They aren't overly sweet like the ones in the grocery stores.  To me, these muffins just have the right sweetness. The ingredients are just what I always have in my kitchen.  I found this recipe when I was desperately looking for ways to use up the very ripe and spotty bananas.   I love this recipe because unlike other banana muffin recipes, this one doesn't require a long list of special ingredients like special yogurt, flaxseed, banana pudding mix, bran, honey, and the list goes on and on .  This is a short and simple recipe that produced super delicious and wholesome banana nut muffins.  I made 12 this morning for breakfast and we only have 6 left.  Next time I'm going to try to follow the video and see if the muffins will taste any different. 

Buttery Apple Biscuits

Content contributed by Jane Ong

When I first met my mother-in-law before I married my husband, she offered me biscuits at a breakfast she made.  I remember how I was taken by surprise when I saw them.  All my life, I had  biscuits that looked very different and then I later found out Americans call the biscuits I had learnt in my English class back home  "cookies" or "crackers".   One bite into my MIL's American biscuit, I decided that I didn't like it.  It was too salty for me and then it had that  hint of bitterness that turned me off. I remember how I used to fight with my sister over the "biscuits" back home when I was little.  I was shocked to find out that there would actually be a kind of "biscuits" in the world that I dislike.  My mother-in-law later told me proudly that those biscuits were really easy to make and they were from her favorite Pillsbury's biscuits from the tube...

I had stayed away from all biscuits ever since, until I found  this recipe.  I was determined  to learn to bake something simple and easy.  After browsing through ton loads of recipes online, I finally found this recipe that is short, that doesn't seem to take too much time, that doesn't seem to need a mixer, a blender, a food processor, a mold, or other gadgets.  I was initially skeptical about it because it was a recipe for making biscuits and I thought I didn't like biscuits.  I decided to risk a second try at it though.

But no matter how short and simple a recipe is, a dumb cook in training like me can still encounter complications.  The recipe instructs me to cut in butter. But I absolutely have no idea what it really means.  Cut with what? How to cut?  My butter was already cut into pieces when I dumped them into the bowl... I just didn't get it.  Anyway, I just mixed everything together with my own two hands since I didn't know what to do next after I had the flour, sugar, salt and butter in the bowl...

Since I don't own a rolling pin, I used my hands to pat down the dough.  I also don't own any biscuits cutter so I used my glass to cut the biscuits.  Regardless of everything I lack of as a new cook, I'm very happy that I gave this biscuit recipe a try.  These biscuits are so delicious and buttery.  The apples and the molasses made the biscuits super tasty.  It's amazing how my perception about food can change if only I keep an open mind and give it a second chance.

Anyway, my husband and I love these biscuits so much we ate them all already.  Thank god that the recipe only makes six so I'm not feeling as guilty.  (Click here for the recipe.)