Dynamite Banana Bread.....no Foolin'....

  Chocolate Chunky Monkey Banana Muffins



Top 'o the muffin top.....mmmmm



Bringin' home the Blue



As with any good quick bread recipe start with two bowls....one for the wet ingredients and one for the dry.  This is a stellar recipe and can be used for loaves, mini-loaves, muffins, mini-muffins, birthday and Bundt cakes.  It's all about the moist factor with this recipe so use quality ingredients - especially in the wet. 

It's also award winning in most of its previously mentioned forms at both the Coombs Fall Fair and the Lighthouse Country Fall Fair.  Not that I'm braggin' or anything.....actually I am so if y'all can't hack it too bad:) 

 

This is a doubled recipe that I use to produce one loaf, a dozen large muffins and 24 mini-muffins.

Don't ever underestimate the power of the nasty black banana. I freeze 'em when they get to the stage where nobody's touching them then remove then from the freezer for a few minutes.  Peel 'em, mash 'em and give 'em a shot of vanilla before I let 'em sit for a bit either in the fridge for a few days or on the counter while you're preparing the rest of the ingredients. 

You can also peel over-ripe bananas first, mash 'em up with that shot of vanilla then transfer into ziploc bags and freeze flat. I use this method for our travel trailer. I made killer muffins at Strathcona Beach a few summers back and the response was outta sight. Kids loved them and the smell in the campground had everyone runnin'......good way to meet your neighbours that for sure!

 

WET

2 cups mashed, very ripe bananas

2 cups granulated sugar - choose your poison here and substitute accordingly

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sour cream/yogurt/buttermilk

3 large eggs, beaten

Shot of good Mexican vanilla

In large bowl combine bananas, sugar, oil, sour cream, eggs and vanilla.  Mix thoroughly. Set aside.

DRY

3 cups flour - however your family is rollin' when it comes to flour go for it

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Optional:  chocolate chips, chopped dark baking chocolate, nuts, seeds, dried fruit

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. If you're adding chips/nuts/fruit you can add them now. 

For Chocolate Chunky Monkey Banana Muffins I added 3/4 of a cup of roughly chopped fine, dark Swiss chocolate to the remaining batter after filling my loaf pan.  Everyone's happy:)

Add to banana mixture - mixing just until combined.  Seriously......don't beat the crap out of this batter it just won't turn out the way you want it.  

Pour into loaf pan and muffin tins.   You can grease 'n flour if that's your thing or use the spray or maybe your pans don't require anything.  I use muffin liners for my muffins and my loaf pan is given a bit of butter greasing then a slab of parchment paper for an easy transfer from pan to cooling rack.  

Bake in 325 oven about an hour for the loaf, 15-20 minutes for regular muffins and about 12 minutes for mini-muffins.  Loaves need some TLC those last few minutes.....keep an eye on the centre of the loaf to ensure it's baked all the way through and for the love of all that is baked goodness use a frickin' tester.  If it comes out clean you're all good. 

Cool in pans for about 5-10  minutes before turning out onto rack to cool completely. 



Muffins and Tea for you and me....



Now that's a chunky monkey!