Banana Date Muffins

You could almost call these healthy what with the whole wheat, and egg whites but then you would have to pretend you didn't just add a cup of butter to them. The recipe will give you 24 generous muffins, so it is somewhat spread out through the recipe, but a cup of butter is still a cup of butter. Do what your conscience permits. These freeze well (as do most muffins) wrapped tightly in sandwich bags (buy the cheap ones for heaven's sake) and secured with twist ties you saved from purchasing your produce (you do save the twist-ties don't you? Please tell me you save the twist ties.

You Will Need:

2 1/2 cups wholemeal flour
2 teaspoons bicarb
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 cup butter, softened at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups mashed banana (about 4 large ones)
4 egg whites plus 1 whole egg (I used large)
1 cup finely chopped dates

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line your tins with paper baking cups, or grease really well with butter. Combine flour, bicarb, and salt. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light. Beat in the banana, then the eggs. Add the dates. Add the flour and mix just until combined. Pour into cups. Top each with coarse sugar if you like. Bake 25 minutes. Rotate pans and continue baking until they test done with a toothpick. Mine took about 40 minutes total. Cool on racks. When completely cool, muffins may be frozen if tightly wrapped. Makes 24 generous muffins.