Banana Monkey Bread Muffins.

As I sit here thinking about bananas and sugar, I have a confession to make. 

I think it might be fall. 

Maybe it's the pumpkin spice coffee I'm drinking on this cozy, cold September morning. 

Maybe it's that orange and black aisle of Halloween candy that's been stressing me out since August. You know the one. The one that says hey, maybe you should bake with candy corn and peanut butter cups today.

Stop it. 

True Blood is over. Maybe it's that. Or the football game I just went to. Wait... do you know me? I bake things... I am not a football girl. 

No big deal. They sell kettlecorn at the stadium. Suddenly I can get down with some football. 

Maybe it's the radio that really just said, "This is the last three day weekend before Thanksgiving. Then it's  time for Christmas and New Year's and 2013!"

Get out. 

Whatever it is, I'm ready for fall. I'm ready for pumpkin pie breakfasts, cute scarves, salted caramel, crisp, falling leaves, pumpkin picking, and cinnamon times.  

  

These are cinnamon times.

Tiny banana bread biscuit balls + cinnamon + sugar + vanilla glaze. 

I think we can all agree. The thing with monkey bread is... it's love. You can't help it, you can't stop. Between the brown sugar glaze, the cinnamon-sugar, the crunchy bits of walnuts, and the pull-apart buttermilk biscuits, it's 100% possible to eat half a bundt pan on Christmas morning. 

Not that that's ever happened. 

(Every single Christmas.)

But these! These are tiny, individual monkey muffins just for you. And they're full of bananas, which makes them practically healthy, if you will.

Even if it kind of looks like we're baking with doughnut holes.

It's banana bread meets monkey bread. Make it happen!

Banana Monkey Bread Muffins

Printable Recipe

Muffins
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup chilled shortening
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 bananas, mashed

For Rolling
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Vanilla Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400°F. 

Spray (or butter) a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Cut in the chilled shortening using a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the mashed bananas and milk and stir together with a fork just until the dough comes together. 

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 8 times, adding a little bit of flour if the dough is still sticky.

Roll dough into teaspoon-size balls. 

In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon. In a separate small bowl, melt the 1/2 cup of butter. 

Roll dough balls in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon-sugar. Place 4-6 dough balls in each muffin cup.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until done and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes.

Gently remove muffins from pan by running a knife around the edges and allow to cool completely before icing.

When cool, make the icing by whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Drizzle over muffins using a fork. 

Serve warm.

Makes 12 monkey muffins.

Source: 365 Days of Baking.