Page 41 Banana Pecan Cupcakes

"Baking a batch of these ultramoist cupcakes is a great way to use overripe bananas; keep a bunch in your freezer (unpeeled) and thaw when you're ready to use. Caramel Buttercream makes a satisfyingly sweet topping, cream cheese frosting or chocolate sour cream frosting are also good choices. Left unfrosted, the cupcakes can be enjoyed any time of day." - Martha

When I was young living in California my sisters and I would walk down to the neighborhood drug store and get an ice cream cone for a nickel. My favorite ice cream back then was Banana Walnut. I remember the clerk used a cylindrical type scoop and he would set the ice cream right on top of the cake cone like he was stacking blocks. These cupcakes remind me of those days and that ice cream. I substituted walnuts for the pecans in the recipe. I used the caramel buttercream for frosting on some and the others I left unfrosted for my memory's sake.

You know, by now I have the sequence down of how Martha likes her ingredients added after having made a number of the recipes. We always are told to cream the butter and sugars, add the vanilla, and alternate the dry sifted ingredients with the liquids to the egg/sugar batter. I have begun to choose not to have so many bowls in the process of making the cupcakes and they all seem to bake up just wonderfully. I hope that's OK with Martha; I know its OK with me. I do cream the sugars and butter, add the eggs and vanilla, but then I just put a sieve over my bowl and place in it the flour, baking soda and powder and salt and sift away directly into the batter. Mix it up, add the liquids (like milk or juices) and voila! The batter is complete with no extra bowls getting in the mix. Seems easier to me and so far, just as successful. I hope you have success this way too!