Aromas

There really is nothing like the smell of banana bread in the oven. The sweetness, the spices, the toasted nuts, the feeling of warmth and joy (and hunger) as you breathe as deeply as possible...

Drool.

The aromas of baking are pure bliss. But you already knew this. Here's the story: I saw an almost rotten banana sitting on the counter this morning and thought, like any baker should, banana bread. And as they say, the rest is history.

Well, not so fast. There's more to this story. I've been thinking about experimenting with the tea muffin recipe some more, and thought chai tea would be fool-proof for baking. So instead of actual tea, since I didn't feel like going to the store, I added most of the appropriate spices to mimmic the essence of chai. And I got probably the best aroma fix I've ever experienced. These muffins did not disappoint in terms of warming my heart, lifting my mood, and prepping my stomach for some mayjah flava.

Here's the verdict, as quoted from my dear brother: "Mmmm. Ohh. I want more." Enough said.

Chai Spice Banana Muffins with Streusel Topping

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour

1/2 cup wheat germ

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 heaping tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. each: ground ginger, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg

2 large bananas, mashed

1 cup milk

1/2 cup light olive oil

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup chopped dates

Streusel topping:

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1/4 heaping cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, at room temperature

cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, wheat germ, baking powder, salt, and spices).

In a medium bowl, whisk wet ingredients (banana, milk, oil, egg, vanilla) until thoroughly combined
.

Add wet ingredients to dry mixture and stir to combine. Make sure all flour is incorporated. Stir in dates and walnuts.

To make streusel topping, combine all ingredients and mix with your hands until well combined and crumbly. Add more oats or brown sugar until desired consistency is reached.

Spoon muffin batter by 1/4 cup into lined muffin tin. Top with 1-2 teaspoons streusel mixture. Bake 15-20 minutes, until springy and cake tester comes out clean.

Note: You could easily "veganize" this recipe by replacing the cow's milk with your milk of choice, and the egg with a flax-water substitute. Just combine 1/4 cup water with 1 Tbsp ground flax, and let sit for 10-15 minutes. This makes the equivalent of one egg.

Also: These morsels could be made even healthier by replacing the streusel topping with a sprinkle of your favorite granola. I like Nature's Path Flax Plus.