Bananas Foster Muffins

I love Bananas Foster.  There is something about slices of ripe bananas in a brown sugar butter sauce over vanilla bean ice cream that just makes perfect sense.  Yum.  If you want the history and original recipe check out Brennans, the New Orleans restaurant where Bananas Foster was born.  

When the bananas on my counter start to turn black I'm always looking for a recipe to use them up that isn't just run-of-the-mill banana bread.  This recipe makes it socially acceptable to eat Bananas Foster all day long--just in the form of a muffin (rum and all).

Bananas Foster Muffins
based on Caramelized Banana Bread
from The Chef Next Door

You may ask: "Is a crumble topping really necessary?" Look at
the toasty oats and almonds in the crumble on these muffins--
does that answer your question?

Muffins:
1/4 cup salted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 medium ripe bananas, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons rum
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup oatmeal
1 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

Crumble Topping:
1/4 cup salted butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Muffins: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin tin.  In a medium skillet or sauce pan melt butter with brown sugar, add sliced bananas and simmer on medium low for 5 minutes, stirring often, until bananas are considerably softened.  Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile whisk together milk, rum, vanilla, and eggs. In a separate bowl stir oatmeal, flour and baking soda together.  When the bananas are cool whisk them into the milk mixture, breaking down the bananas as much as you see fit.  Stir in the dry ingredients just until moistened.  Scoop batter into the prepared muffin tin.

Crumble Topping: Add butter, brown sugar, oatmeal, and almonds to the bowl of stand mixer (or use a hand mixer--I like to use a mixer to make this crumble because it breaks down the sliced almonds into beautiful fragments that get really toasty when baked) and mix for about 30 seconds on medium speed until the ingredients are combined and the almonds are somewhat broken down.

Generously sprinkle the muffins with crumble topping and bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.  Remove immediately to a cooling rack, when cooled store for up to 5 days in an air tight container.

Yields 1 dozen muffins