Banana-Coconut-Nut Mini Muffins
Makes 24 mini muffins

1 cup ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup margarine
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour (or 1 cup all purpose, 1 cup whole-wheat flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup pecans (or your favorite type of nut), chopped
1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 24-cup mini muffin pan.
2. Combine bananas and buttermilk in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Cream brown sugar and margarine together until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add banana mixture and beat well. Set aside.
4. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add to liquid ingredients and stir until well-blended.
5. Stir in nuts and coconut.
6. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons batter into each cup in the muffin pan.
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in pan. Turn muffins out onto a wire cooling rack an allow to cool completely.

Nutrition facts:
Serving size: 2 muffins
Calories: 210 kcal
Total fat: 10 g
Saturated fat: 3.2 g
Protein 4 g
Carbohydrates 27.4g
Total fiber: 2.2 g
Cholesterol 16 mg
Sodium: 216 mg

What is an Iron Cupcake Challenge? This competition is loosely based on The Food Network’s Iron Chef in that a different flavor/ingredient is chosen each month and participants must bake their best cupcake based on the given flavor, then bring their cupcakes to the competition to be judged by a panel of three expert bakers/foodies. Additionally, a portion of the proceeds from each challenge go to a different charity every month. I was so happy to spend a night tasting cupcakes for a good cause – who wouldn’t have fun at an event like this!

The theme this month was “Thanksgiving.” There were 15 creative and delicious entries, which ranged from a sweet potato casserole cupcake to a pumpkin spice cupcake to a chocolate cupcake sculpted to look like a roasted turkey. I created a cupcake that was a sweet twist on stuffing with gravy. I, unfortunately, did not win this time, but am already excited to participate in the next!

A Sweet Twist on Stuffing with Gravy – Cupcake Style
Makes 24 cupcakes

Cupcakes:
¼ cup butter
1 cup pecans
1 cup cranberries
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 granny smith apple, diced into small pieces
1 angel food cake (store-bought or homemade), cut into ½ inch cubes
1 cup heavy cream
3 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-inch cupcake tins with silicone (preferred) or paper cupcake liners.
2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
3. Add pecans, cranberries, and spices; sauté lightly for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add apple and sauté until tender, 5 more minutes.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together heavy cream and eggs. Set aside.
6. Transfer pecan, cranberry, apple mixture to a large bowl. Add ½ of the angel food cake cubes and stir gently to combine.
7. Add cream and egg mixture, stir to combine, and then add the remaining angel food crumbs. Stir a few times to combine, but do not over-mix.
8. Gently press stuffing mixture into cupcake tins. Fill cupcake liners to brim.
9. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until tops of cupcakes are golden.
10. Let cupcakes cool in tins for 10 minutes; transfer to a cooling rack. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting with Brown Sugar Icing (below).

Brown Sugar Icing:
½ cup packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1. Combine brown sugar, milk, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Heat until butter is melted and brown sugar is dissolved.
3. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and powdered sugar.
4. Let cool slightly (but not all of the way) before using.

Thanksgiving may be over, but the good eats don’t have to be. Give the recipe a try and let me know what you think!