Wait, am I in Hawaii?

That's what I thought when I sunk my teeth into my fabulous new creation. Heavenly, almost like dessert for breakfast. Inside the muffins, the three major components (banana, pineapple, and coconut) blend harmoniously into one batter. Like a good piece of Jazz music - each instrument can be tasted one by one at their given moment. The occasional chunk of pineapple, the fragrance of coconut, and the familiar texture and flavor of banana bread. A MAJOR kitchen success.

This is not a make-ahead-and-freeze type of a muffin. The crumbled topping won't survive the harsh environment of your freezer. This is a "I want to do something special for the family" sort of treat.

Tropical Crunch Muffins

muffin:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sweetened, shredded coconut.
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 bananas, mashed
1 small can of crushed pineapple, drained.
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 tsp coconut flavoring

Topping:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts
2 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare muffin tin (line with cups, spray, or oil. Pick your poison.)

Make the muffins -

In one bowl, mix the flour, coconut, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In another bowl, crush bananas (I used my immersion blender, easy peasy!), add pineapple, white sugar, egg, melted butter, and coconut flavoring. Mix well with a whisk, as you don't want to stir too much once the dry ingredients have been incorporated.

Add wet and dry together, and stir just enough to get the dry ingredients wet. Place into muffin tin.

Make topping -

In a third bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Cut in butter until it forms a crumbly mix with small cornmeal like crumbles. Then add nuts and coconut, and divide amongst the top of the muffins.

Bake for 15-20 minutes (mine were done in 17). Test with a toothpick.

Place on rack for a few minutes before releasing from the pan, a few more before eating!

When eating, do try to resist the urge to jump into a bathing suit and sunscreen. Some places up north are still too cold for such behavior. However, if you have some Kona Coffee (as we did, thanks Mom and Dad), today might be a good day to try it out.

Aloha from what might as well be the islands. At least for today.