Triple Chocolate Muffins

I mentioned the children love bananas.  And they do.  Except in baked goods.  I have no idea why. 

I am very fond of banana bread and banana muffins, and adapted a peanut butter and banana muffin recipe to one that is friendlier to my kitchen.  Peanut butter is not welcome in my house.  I know it’s supposed to be a good source of protein, but it is also a nasty allergen that can have a deadly reaction for some of Peanut and Pumpkin’s friends.  Therefore, it isn’t welcome here.

The recipe is still in the refining stage.  It originally required  2/3 cup of sugar, which seems like a lot for me.  I’ve reduced it to ½, but can probably use only 1/3. 

Ingredients:

1 banana

½ cup sugar

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

3 Tbsp. cocoa powder

3 Tbsp. hazelnut butter (because I like it, and the one we use doesn’t contain peanuts.  We have used sunflower seed butter, but it wasn’t the same)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

dash  cinnamon

¾ cup flour

¼ cup 1%milk, plus 3 Tbsp.

36 (or about 3 Tbsp) semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

In a food processor, blend the wet ingredients.  Add the dry (except for chocolate chips) and process briefly.  Scoop batter into 12 muffin cups, filling about ½ full.

Top with 3 chips per muffin, and bake at 350 for 15 – 18 minutes.

Or

Put the muffins in the oven, begin cleaning up your work area, discover chips, gasp, check timer, pull muffins out of oven after about 3 mins. of baking, top with chips, pop back into oven and keep baking.

I actually prefer the Oops method, because the chips have a tendency to sink into the muffin as it bakes, leaving a molten chocolaty bit in the centre.  Otherwise the chips tend to sit on top of the muffin and say “Hey!  Look at me! Totally not a healthy thing!”

Wait!  Where's the third chocolate?

Well, you see, it's in the hazelnut butter.  That's one.  Two is the cocoa powder.  The chips make three. 

Triple Chocolate Muffins are quickly gobbled up.  Banana-Hazelnut Muffins, not so much.