Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Lately, it seems that Manhattan can't decide whether or not it's still in the throes of winter or en route to spring. Saturday was a dreary, rainy day, one which evidently turned me into a hermit, favoring the warmth and coziness of my apartment over the chilled dampness of the outdoors. And what says cozy better than muffins, I ask? I know, brilliant segue way. 

In all honesty, these muffins were a bit of an accident. It started with a bunch of overripe bananas, as most banana baking adventures do. Initially thinking of some sort of bread, I realized that I have yet to purchase a proper bread loaf pan. Which of course, only left one option! 

Muffins! And then I remembered the dreaminess that is Paradise Bakery's banana chocolate chip muffins. Located in Aspen, CO (and Denver as well, I'm told), Paradise has these incredibly rich, buttery muffins that were just the perfect pick-me-up after a long rehearsal (at last, you say, a music reference! Don't worry, this is not turning entirely into a food blog). Sadly, they carry lots of peanut butter baked goods, so last summer I steered clear and therefore have been seriously, seriously muffin deprived.

So here it is, an adapted banana bread recipe (from Shauna Sever, of course) with a few modifications, the most important of which including chocolate. If anything, make these so you can experience the joy that is mashing up bananas and so your home will smell as incredible as mine did!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Adapted from Shauna Sever's Banana Bread recipe, inspired by Paradise Bakery

Yields 12, large muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 overripe bananas, smashed

1/4 cup plain, greek yogurt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a muffin tin. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, combine bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla (and yes, this will look like baby food at first). Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry to combine, being careful not to over-mix (second consistency note: it takes a bit of folding for the ingredients to truly combine--don't worry, it's not too much flour). Add chocolate chips, stirring to incorporate. Bake for 20 minutes, until tops are lightly golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean (or, if you are running low on supplies like myself this evening...a chopstick). Remove from the oven and cool, first in the tin and then on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Until next time,

Francesca