Tropical Muffins with Coconut-Macadamia Topping

These muffins define the word scrumptious! They're so moist and delicious, with a flavor that's a combination of banana-nut bread and a yummy piña colada! I clipped the recipe from a Cooking Light magazine a few months ago and have been wanting to try it ever since. This morning I had some bananas that were past their prime, so I decided it was the perfect time to whip up a batch of Tropical Muffins with Coconut-Macadamia Topping.

They smelled so good while they were baking - oh, the anticipation! I could hardly wait to dig into one. I decided to do it right, though, and actually take a few minutes to sit down at the table (instead of standing at the counter gulping one down), and have a proper cup of tea with my warm, fragrant muffin. To make it even more of an event, I got out a tea cup and saucer from my mother's set of lilac china. Those old china teacups are so thin and delicate and pretty - they make you feel fancy, just holding one in your hand.

9" x 12", watercolor, pen & ink

That tea cup looked so pretty with the morning sun shining on it - I just had to do a quick sketch of it. But I can't seem to leave well enough alone, and the sketch kept growing until I had a 9" x 12" page in my sketchbook filled with the tea cup and muffin, plus an abbreviated version of the recipe. (Mine's a little different from the original - I substituted walnuts for macadamias, since that's what I had on hand.)

Isn't this just typical of how some days go? I spied those unassuming ripe bananas on the kitchen counter, and next thing I knew, I had a warm muffin in my hand while I sipped tea from an antique china cup while smiling at my brand new illustrated recipe. Now that's a great way to start the day!

Here's the recipe ...

Tropical Muffins

Muffin ingredients:
1-1/3 cup flour (about 6 ounces)
1 cup rolled oats or quick oats
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2)
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 T. canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
½ cup canned crushed pineapple in juice, drained
1/3 cup flaked sweetened coconut
3 T. finely chopped macadamia nuts or walnuts

Topping ingredients:
2 T. flaked sweetened coconut
1 T. finely chopped macadamia nuts or walnuts
1 T. sugar
1 T. rolled oats or quick oats

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400º.
2. To prepare muffins, combine flour and next four ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of flour mixture.
3. Combine banana and next 5 ingredients (through egg) in a medium bowl; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in pineapple, 1/3 cup coconut, and 3 T. nuts.
4. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.
5. To prepare topping, combine 2 T. coconut and the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
6. Sprinkle about 1 tsp. of topping over each muffin.
7. Bake at 400º for 18 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; place on a wire rack to cool.

Recipe Notes:

- Macadamia nuts are the perfect choice for true tropical flavor, but walnuts or slivered almonds are great substitutes.
- Toasting the nuts before adding them to the batter really helps to bring out their flavor. I put mine in a Pyrex pie pan in the microwave for a few minutes, stirring every minute or so. Be careful - they can burn very quickly.
- I substituted Jules gluten free flour for wheat flour, with no other adjustments, and the muffins turned out just perfect.