banana strusel muffins

I asked for the SoNo Bakery Cookbook for Christmas this year.

This cookbook was created by John Barricelli who, for those familiar with Everyday Food, is a longstanding contributor to the magazine and host on the Everyday Food / Everyday Baking television shows. Lucky for me I received a copy of his book over the holidays and this weekend was my first opportunity to make something from it. 

To kick it off it could only be but these Banana Strusel Muffins. As a longtime banana baking vetran, I thought these might just as well be banana bread muffins, but boy was I wrong. Regular banana bread is quite dense and heavy, but these muffins are so incredibly light, moist and tender - almost cake-like. I'm baffled as to how that happened without cake flour or leavening flour. I guess this was achieved by the equal amount of baking soda and baking powder. Everything about these muffins is balanced and so beyond a home baking taste - they really taste bakery quality. 

This is one recipe I wish I'd invented. And if I did, I'd bask in the glory of having created the perfect banana baked good. But we have John Barricelli to thank for what will now be a staple breakfast and dessert in our home from now on.