There are several things I would love to be doing right now, all vying for my time but I had to write this post tonight, not because I would grow lazy with time, but because the smell of banana chocolate chip muffins baking in my apartment commands me.  I’m saving them for the office tomorrow, so I haven’t even tried a single one.  If the smell is any indication of what my taste buds are in for, it’s no wonder my mouth has been watering this whole time.  Just inhaling the scent makes me feel like I’m eating with my nose…

Ah, the muffin. The cupcake’s fluffier, denser cousin.  I had some very ripe bananas lying around, and normally, I would make banana bread out of it using my mom’s recipe, but banana bread was about as challenging to me as, say, making jello.  Banana bread was actually the first thing I’d ever mastered baking.  Besides, if I was going to bring baked goods to the office, I wanted something with cuter packaging, no slicing required.  Sure, cupcakes would have been a solution, but I’ve done too many cupcakes already and I need a break from doing them.  So muffins, it was.

This was a banana chocolate chip muffin recipe I found on Diana’s Desserts after looking through several on the Internets.  The recipe had rave reviews, one of which mentioned how nicely they domed.  I’m a sucker for nice domage.  You gotta have that muffin top that so distinguishes muffins from cupcakes.  This recipe did not require the use of a mixer, so I opted for the ol’ whisk and wooden spoon method.  Recipe, as follows:

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (DianasDesserts.com)

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips
• 2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 4 large)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick/4oz/113g) butter or stick margarine, melted
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease 12 large muffin cups.

In large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chips.

In small bowl, blend bananas, melted margarine, milk, eggs and vanilla. Add to flour mixture, stirring only until just blended (do not over mix). Fill muffin cups.

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let stand several minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool.

Makes 12 large muffins.

Tip: Use a spring-release ice cream scoop to spoon batter into muffin cups.