"MMM" definitely response to these surprise-middle muffins

Another Saturday needed for errand running—this one in the rain. The object: getting Hubby to accompany me. (After all, one of the errands was to exchange a Christmas gift that fit him wrong. Didn't that require his presence?) Some kind of special breakfast was in order to effect my bribe.

The title of this recipe intrigued me. What in the middle would evoke an "MMM" response? Two of Hubby's favorite food substances—peanut butter and banana—were wedged in the middle of the muffin. Had to give it a try and see whether it had persuasive powers.

The assemblage was easy, even though I erred on the side of conservatism (wouldn't my mother get a hoot out of that statement? She never believed anyone could err on the side of conservatism, especially the political variety.) where the banana slice was concerned. For fear the muffin batter wouldn't effectively cover it up as it baked, I made my banana slices a tad too skinny. Therefore the full-flavor idea of the hidden banana got shortchanged a little bit. Next time I'll insert a healthy-sized chunk—maybe up to one-inch in width. The 1/2 teaspoon of peanut butter as the recipe stated turned out to be just the right amount.

When the muffins popped out of the oven, they looked nondescript enough—with only the merest hint of the surprise contained within. But when Hubby bit into one, wow! Was he intrigued!

Yup, after a breakfast of MMM . . . in the Middle Muffins, Hubby morphed into a compliant, willing, errand-running companion—for tasks that lasted most of the day Saturday. (And on a midday trip back to the house to drop off our belongings before the afternoon errand-run, he dove into the leftover muffin container for a replenishment.) The MMM factor worked, indeed.

MMM . . . in the Middle Muffins

3/4 cup milk, skim

2 teaspoons lemon juice

3/4 cup cornmeal

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/3 cup margarine

2 tablespoons honey

2/3 cup sugar substitute

2 eggs (or 1/2 cup egg beaters)

1 banana, large, cut into 12 slices

2 tablespoons lowfat peanut butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 12-cup muffin tin. In small bowl combine milk and lemon juice. Set aside. In another small bowl combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set this bowl aside also. In a large bowl mix margarine, honey, and sugar substitute. Add eggs (brought to room temperature) to the margarine mixture. To the margarine mixture add the flour mixture alternately with the milk. Fill each muffin tin about 1/3 full. Place banana slice onto the batter in each cup with 1/2 teaspoon of peanut butter. (Make sure the banana slice is fairly sizable.) Press down slightlly. Continue to fill each muffin cup with batter until it is 2/3 full and covers the banana. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.