Phenomenal Phoods

Banana Cupcakes with Salted Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup butter
• 3 cups flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 5 mashed ripe bananas (I always keep a bunch in my freezer and just thaw them)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 1 lb. semisweet chocolate chips
• Pinch of salt
• 2 cups heavy cream

Instructions:

1. Cook the 1 1/2 cup of butter in a saucepan over medium heat, swirling every few seconds, until melted, and the milk solids at the bottom of the pan turn dark brown, about 5 minutes.
2. Scrape the browned butter into a shallow bowl. Refrigerate until softly set, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and baking soda.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas and buttermilk.
6. In a large bowl, beat together the browned butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed.
7. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition (I followed these instructions for the first egg and then just cheated with the last 3).
8. Add the flour and banana mixtures to the butter and brown sugar mixture, alternating between the two in three additions each.
9. Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way and bang the cupcake tin on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbled. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before icing.
10. In a small saucepan, cook the butter over medium heat, swirling every few seconds, until melted, and the milk solids at the bottom of the pan turn darn brown, about 5 minutes.
11. Scrape the butter and milk solids into a large bowl and add the chocolate and salt.
12. Bring the cream to a boil in the same pot over medium heat, and then pour over the chocolate and butter. Cool in the fridge, stirring every 15 minutes, until thickened and spreadable, about 1 hour. I left it longer than that because I wanted to pipe it onto the cupcakes.
13. Pipe the ganache onto the cupcakes and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.