Caramelized Banana Muffins

1. Gather all the ingredients.
2. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). For a convection oven, reduce cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Lightly spray the muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray or line with cupcake liners.
3. Sift 1½ cups all-purpose flour (plain flour) and 1½ tsp baking powder. Peel 11 oz overripe bananas and cut into thin slices.
4. To make the caramel, cook ⅓ cup sugar and 3 Tbsp water over medium heat in a small saucepan. Gently tilt the pan off the heat to distribute the color evenly as the sugar caramelizes.
5. When the mixture turns a nice amber color, immediately add the sliced bananas and coat them with the caramel. Turn off the heat.
6. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat ¾ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature) on medium-high speed until soft. Then, add ⅔ cup sugar and mix until creamy and fluffy.
7. Whisk 2 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) in a bowl, stir into the batter, and blend well.
8. Add half of the flour mixture to the batter and mix well. Then, stir in half of the ½ cup milk. Add the rest of the flour and mix, and finally stir in the rest of milk. Mix well to combine.
9. Add 1 tsp pure vanilla extract and fold in the caramelized bananas just until combined.

To Bake

1. Spoon the batter into the muffin tin about three-quarters full. If you‘d like, top each muffin with ½ tsp Nutella (for a total of 6 tsp Nutella) and use a skewer or chopstick to swirl it into the batter.
2. Bake the muffins at 350ºF (180ºC) for about 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or let cool completely for storage.

To Store

1. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days and in the freezer for a month.