Banana-Coffee Chocolate Chip Muffins

What does everyone do when they have brown bananas on the counter? Make banana bread! Ok, maybe not everyone. I bet those suckers get tossed more times than we know. But what if you aren’t in the mood for banana bread? Or you just don’t have a few minutes to put it together? Do, what I did. Mash ‘em up and stick ‘em in the freezer.

About a month ago I had some bananas that were riiiiipe. They were so ripe I was afraid they were attracting things my kitchen didn’t need attracting. So I mashed them up, stuck them in a freezer bag, labeled them and froze them. Then, another round came along. This time, I mashed those up, combined them with the thawed ones and made some Banana-Coffee Chocolate Chip Muffins.

I was originally going to make some boring old banana bread, but then I ran across these bad boys as I was looking through my cookbooks again. I’m so glad I made them. They were definitely a nice change from the norm and hubby commented on how they almost tasted like chocolate chip cookies, but in muffin form. That means “mmmm, yummy!” I know this because he ate two of the night I made them, two of them for breakfast the next morning and another two for breakfast again.

The original recipe is actually Banana Espresso, but since I don’t keep instant espresso powder on hand – I use instant coffee granules – I wasn’t going to go out and buy them specifically for these muffins. I just subbed in my usual and it worked out great. I also used mini chocolate chips, because I like how they get distributed more throughout the muffin than regular sized chips.

If you have some bananas that you’re on the verge of saying goodbye to, don’t. Make these instead!

Banana-Coffee Chocolate Chip Muffins
Yield: 1 dozen regular size muffins & 6 mini-muffins
Adapted from Baked, New Frontiers in Baking
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups mashed, very ripe bananas (about 4 medium bananas)
½ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup butter, melted
¼ cup milk
1 egg
1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray or line a regular size muffin pan. (Plus 6 cups from mini tin).

In a medium bowl, stir together the bananas, sugars, butter, milk and egg.

In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, instant coffee granules, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Fill each cup about ¾ full. Bake in the center of the oven fro 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool on rack for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes remove the muffins from the pan and let them finish cooling on the cooling rack.

Muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Lemon-Lime Poppy Seed Mini Muffins

Alternate Title: ”What to make at 6am when you’ve been up since 4am with a one-month old that doesn’t want to go back to sleep”.

Coffee and I have been BFFs lately.  Along with my couch for quick naps, if possible – because sometimes, as much as I’d like to get some shut eye, it just doesn’t happen.  Blame it on the caffeine, blame it on my extreme desire to sleep, causing me not to be able to sleep.  Who knows.

So, while I was up, why not bake up something yummy for breakfast?  Only problem, I was a bit low on supplies. I just can’t get motivated take a newborn along on a grocery trip. Sure, I can stick her in the sling, or take along a bulky carrier, but when GB’s awake, forget about it.  She’s a squirmer and the sling doesn’t give her much room to stretch or squirm.  And she’d rather be held than sit in a carseat or carrier. The best time to make grocery runs is on the weekends when MC’s taking a nap and hubby can watch GB. 

So, about these muffins. I had a jar of poppy seeds for just such occasions.  You know, when you want to bake something, but you have to scour the pantry to come up with something good.  But, I didn’t have any lemons.  I did have some limes and lemon extract.  Why not combine the two?  I only used the zest of the lime, but next time I plan on incorporating the juice as well.  I’d also suggest adding more than ½ teasoon of lemon extract – or if you have it, use the lemon zest and juice.  I only used ½ cup of sugar because I like my muffins and quick breads on the less sweet side.

Lemon-Lime Poppy Seed Mini Muffins
Yield: 24 mini muffins
Adapted from Joy of Cooking
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon extract
zest of one small lime

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F. Grease a mini-muffin tin or line with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and poppy seeds.

In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together with a few light strokes, just to combine.

Fill each cup about ¾ full.

Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the muffins comes out clean.

Not So Sneaky Susan

When my family came to town last week they brought with them two boxes of fruit.  One box of mangoes and one box of chameh.  I love mangoes, I just don’t have luck buying them.  They’re either not ripe or over ripe and fuzzy.  If you’ve ever felt that texture in your mouth, you know it’s very unpleasant.

I have about four or five chameh melons left and really have nothing to do with them, but eat them.  However, I’m the only one in my family of 3 that like them. I’m going to have to see if anyone at work has an adventurous fruit palate.  Nothing really to be adventurous about, but it’s something people around these parts have probably never seen.  And you don’t have to eat the seeds, but you can.  That’s how I eat it anyway.  Less work the better, you know? 

This was the first time MC has tried mangoes.  He seemed to enjoy it because he was shoveling it into his mouth while the juice was dripping down his chin.  I wish I’d gotten a picture of that.  It was a sight. But, as unpredictable as most toddlers are, he didn’t want anything to do with them after that.

No worries though.  I snuck them in…I made muffins. JUMBO muffins.  JUMBO Mango Muffins.    I have one or two more mangoes left and I’m trying to decide the best use for them.  Cake? Sorbet? Sauce? Chutney – I’ve never made a chutney…Salsa?  Ideas are endless!  Suggestions?????

I was inspired by Get Baked’s Mango Raspberry Lawsuit Muffins. I say inspired because I liked the idea of mangoes in my muffins, but not the raspberries.  I’ve never really been a fan.  I enjoy strawberries and even the occasional blackberry, but for some reason, me and raspberries have never been friends. So, I doubled up on the mango and since I have no citrus fruits in the house (what?!), I had to omit that.  It was still good. During my search I saw some recipes that called for bananas with mangoes, but I was not only banana-less, but banana’d out, so applesauce it was.  I was trying to go for a similar consistency.  Yes, it was a little runny, but I mixed it in with the sugar & oil and it was fine.  I was determined to make these without making a trip to the grocery store!  I’m on a budget now people. Did I mention I was out of buttermilk? *sigh* Milk & vinegar it was.

I personally loved the chunkiness of the mangoes, but I think next time I would make a puree and add it to the batter, as well as add chunks of mangoes. That way the mango flavor comes out in the whole muffin.

mmmm, streusel

Mango Muffins
Yield: 6 jumbo muffins
Adapted from Mango Raspberry Lawsuit Muffins, from Get Baked
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup applesauce
¾ cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon vinegar
¾ cup whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups chopped mango

Streusel Topping
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar
½ teaspoons cinnamon
¼ cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F. Line a jumbo muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.

Combine oil, applesauce and brown sugar together in a large bowl. Whisk in egg, vanilla and buttermilk.

In a separate bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to wet mixture and gently fold together with mango.

Generously fill 6 jumbo muffin cups (I filled mine to the top). Sprinkle with streusel topping (just mix all ingredients together in a small bowl).

Bake for 20 minutes at 400F, then lower the temperature to 350F and bake for an additional 15 minutes or so.

Dos Berry Muffins

*Recipe has been edited to include the oil amount. Thanks Yvonne for finding that!

now that’s a muffin – look at all those berries!

I told myself I had to buy some blueberries and strawberries before it was too late. I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t. I love berries with some plain or vanilla yogurt drizzled with honey and some granola (usually kashi go lean crunch).  But, I had a different idea for these berries…muffins, of course!  I’m obessed!  I even went to the library and picked up Muffins Galore (Catherine Atkinson) and Cupcakes Galore (Gail Wagman). So far I’m not really impressed with the Muffins Galore book.  Alot of the recipes use self-rising flour and superfine sugar.  I know you can make substitutions, but it just seems so inconvenient to convert.  Bah!  I haven’t read through Cupcakes Galore yet.  I’m sure you’ll know if something catches my fancy.    Anyway, to continue with my obsession, I ended up making some blueberry & strawberry muffins…thus Dos Berry, or Deux Berry or Dool Berry (Korean).

You can see, I’m not the only one that wanted a bite of these muffins. MC was dying to get his hands on one.

patiently (sort of) waiting until momma’s done taking pictures

I’m thinking blueberry pancakes need to be on the menu soon. Maybe with a strawberry coulis? Yum!

MC helping me with the shot, “say cheese”

This post is being submitted to a bi-weekly baking event hosted by Ben at What’s Cooking. Go check it out and send him your baked goods!

Dos Berry Muffins
Adapted from Joy of Cooking
Yield: 6 jumbo muffins & 3 regular size muffins
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream (I used light)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup oil (vegetable or canola)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup blueberries
1 cup strawberries, choipped

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a jumbo & regular size muffin tin with paper liners. Fill the unused ones 1/3 full with warm water.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.

In a separate mixing bowl whisk the eggs, sour cream, sugars, oil & vanilla together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and combine. Do not over mix. Add the berries and fold in.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes.

Mini Saga Continued

So, my mission this week was to make mini-muffins. And, I’d like to say that my mission has been accomplished. However, there was a slight mishap with the muffins. Now, if you were to look at the picture you’d think, “What? A mishap? What does she mean?” Well…you don’t see a picture of the muffins out of the paper cup now do you? Haha. I had to go all low fat and use applesauce (instead of butter or oil). Why? I don’t freakin know. Cuz, I had some applesauce and not sour cream and I wanted some really moist muffins? Regardless, the muffins (that I could pry out of the wrapper) were fantabulous. Ok, it’s not quite as bad as I make it seem, but there was some serious stickage to the paper-age. I’ve listed the recipe as I made them, but would probably recommend adding a little fat.

Banana Muffins
Adapted from Joy of Cooking
Yield: approximately 24 mini
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup applesauce
1 small ripe banana, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400F.  Line a mini muffin tin with paper liners.  Set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a separate bowl mix the egg, milk, light brown sugar, applesauce, banana and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.
Fill muffin cups just shy of the top.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Let the muffins cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Adapted from Joy of Cooking
Yield: approximately 16 mini
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup applesauce
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a mini muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds.
In a separate bowl mix the egg, milk, sugar, applesauce, lemon zest and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.
Fill muffin cups just shy of the top.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Let the muffins cool for about 5 minutes before serving.