"Going Bananas" Chocolate Muffins

The winter can often pose troublesome for me. Frustration. Boredom. Restlessness. Frigidness.

I yearn to be outside, catching glistening rays of sun and a fresh breeze without feeling like hypothermia is immanent.

I dream of Mexico and warm beaches, tropical fruit, monkeys eating tropical fruit. Yeah it might be the cabin fever.

Monkeys? Really?

The fact of the matter is that I am a fair weather person. News Flash! Being too cold is one of the worst feelings imaginable along with being at sea with waves that are three times bigger than your little lifeboat.

Being too cold is miserable. Boo Hoo...

I understand that the month is January and bone cold. I can’t change that.

I am learning enjoy January as the toughest month of the calendar year.

I am learning to accept that I am going to cozy up for the month, in a warm house, content with the gloomy situation outside. This is part of the cycle, my days are not going to be spilling over with excitement and amusement on a daily basis. Life just isn’t like that. That is life.

Strikes and gutters.

Amen.

There can be joy and beauty in reading by daylight. I usually save such leisurely activities for a means to fall asleep, not wanting to waste precious daylight hours sitting inside. Things change, we grow, we learn, I relax and enjoy the ride.  I read during the day, with what sun light peeks through window onto my over-sized reading chair. That is me sitting with my fannie plopped down reading a book.

I also fire up the oven and come up with tropical treats so I will stop thinking about monkeys.

I have yet to find a better way to warm up than a hot oven and piping hot gooey muffins dripping with golden honey. Oh, chocolate. They must have chocolate. This makes reading all that more enjoyable folks. Trust me.

"Going Bananas" Dark Chocolate Muffins


Adapted from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook


These are big and beautiful muffins that are easily adaptable to several variations. Cut the bananas into pieces about half the size of a dice as opposed to the usual mashing. I like the gooey chunks. Add nuts, coconut or dried fruit. Be fancy. Be fun.


3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
2 large eggs
2 large bananas cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly


1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line a 12 cup muffin tin.


2. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk the yogurt and eggs together in a medium bowl. Gently fold this wet batter into the dry ingredients with a spatula until just combined. Fold in the bananas and chocolate chips. Fold in the melted butter.


3. Using a scoop, evenly divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake for 25-30 minutes. The muffins should golden and a toothpick inserted to the center should come out with a few crumbs.


4. Let cool in the tin for 5 minutes then turn onto a wire cooling rack for another 10 minutes. 

5. Dive in and curl up with a book!