Therapy Baking: Choco Banana Muffins

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
(I can't even remember the last time I photographed my baking...who knew snapping a few shots of banana muffins would be so enjoyable.)

I usually make my banana bread with cinnamon and chopped walnuts. This time I was in the mood for a yummy banana chocolate chip bread. I even went crazy and made them into muffins instead of one big loaf. I know...it's getting wild over here! The best part: I ditched cleaning or some other useful past time and therapy baked while Cricket napped. Oh, yes I did!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups bananas, smashed (Aprox 5 ripe nanners)
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 salt (omit if using salted butter)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, beaten
• semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tin with paper liners, or spray with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl cream butter and brown sugar. Mix in beaten eggs and vanilla extract. Add in bananas, stirring until just mixed.
3. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt (I sift the dry ingredients into a bowl to help avoid a dense muffin.)
4. In batches, stir dry mixture into wet mixture. Stir until just moistened.
5. Pour batter into muffin tins until 2/3 full. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, pressing chips slightly into batter.
6. Bake until toothpick comes out clean (Aprox. 15-20 minutes). Cool on wire rack.

My little taste tester. Shhh, don't tell her she only got two chocolate chips in her muffin.

My goal was to create a light and fluffy muffin instead of a dense bread. By sifting the dry ingredients, not over-mixing and adding the chocolate chips on top, instead of stirring them in, I believe I achieved my light and fluffy mission. Of course, these are all optional steps. You could just toss it all together and have them done lickity-split. That is the fun of therapy baking. It's all about enjoying the process, as much as the yummy end result.

Post nap giggles and pretty thrilled that she gets to taste test a muffin.

This has been a successful round of naptime therapy baking. Stay tuned for more exciting episodes in store. Now, if you'll excuse me Cricket and I have some post nap playing to do.

xo, Rachel