Back in the day, when my husband and I had just paired up, every Friday we’d buy a couple of banana muffins from Zaro’s Bakery, which still exists in Grand Central Station and some other locations. These muffins were not kidding around: They were fluffy and resilient (not the kind that crumbles all over), practically as big as your head, and were sweet but not cloyingly so. A smattering of well-placed pecan halves made them our go-to weekend breakfast. You had to get to Zaro’s early on a Friday — if you waited till you were on your way home from work, fuhgeddaboudit. They’d be sold out.

Fast forward to 2015 or so, and I became obsessed with the idea of recreating these banana muffins. After a few false starts (muffin recipes with a pound of confectioners’ sugar are best avoided), I found this Brown Sugar Banana Muffin recipe from Southern Living, and — BAM!– I was rocketed back to the 90’s, NYC muffin mania, and falling in love. These are an amazing way to get your weekend started — hope you find them as delicious as we do!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large)
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans

STEPS

1. Preheat over to 350; prepare one muffin pan (makes 12 regular-size muffins). I always use the pleated paper liners for muffins as I can’t be bothered to grease the pan 😉
2. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add brown sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
3. Stir together mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla. Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with banana mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. (Do not overbeat.) Spoon batter into 12 lightly greased muffin cups, filling two-thirds full. Sprinkle evenly with pecans.
4. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pans immediately, and cool 10 minutes on wire racks.

Note: If you don’t have buttermilk, stir 3/4 tsp. lemon juice or vinegar into 1/4 cup milk.