Raisin Banana Cupcakes

Raisin Banana Cupcakes
Source: Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.), pg. 279.

Moist and delicious, these cupcakes taste very much like banana bread. I didn't have light raisins on hand so I used dark ones. Be sure that your bananas are over ripe.

3 1/2 oz. (3/4 cup) light raisins
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
3 large (1/2 cups) mashed fully ripened bananas
1 egg
1/3 dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup safflower oil (or other vegetable oil)

Preheat the oven to 375. Line a standard 12-count muffin pan with paper liners or butter the forms and set aside. (Silicone cups also work great!)

Steam the raisins in a vegetable steamer or in a strainer over shallow water in a saucepan. Cover the pan, bring the water to a boil, let it boil for a minute until the raisins are barely moist. Set aside.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Set aside.   

Mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher and place in a mixing bowl. Beat slightly. Remove the bananas from the bowl and set aside in a separate bowl.

 

Without washing the bowl or beaters, beat the egg, sugar and oil to mix.

Add the bananas back to the bowl.

On lowest speed, gradually add the dry ingredients.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the raisins.

Divide the batter among the prepared forms about 2/3 full (an ice cream scoop is great for this). Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly pressed). Remove from the pan and cool on a rack.