As you can see...I like to make mine mini muffin style. I have 2 mini muffin pans and this recipe will make about 48 muffins! Now, there are several good reasons for making your Chocolate Banana Bread (or any kind of banana bread you happen to prefer) mini muffin style.....
1. They cook faster and you get to eat them while the second batch is cooking.
2. You can share some with your friends and neighbors without giving it all away (or looking cheesy by giving 1/2 a loaf away).
3. They're bite sized so you feel NOOOOO guilt when you pop one (or 2 or 5) in your mouth.
You can probably use your favorite banana nut bread recipe by replacing 1/2 cup of flour with 1/2 cup of cocoa powder. But if by chance you don't have a personal favorite, I'll share mine with you (cuz I'm like that. When I feel like it. But don't ask for the last reeses peanut butter cup cuz I get real 3 yr old selfish like).....
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter - softened
1/3 cup milk
1 egg - slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup mashed bananas (ripened to the point of the skins being brown)
1 cup chopped pecans (or you can use walnuts or chocolate chips...ooor both)
Preheat your oven to 350' F. Grease the bottom of your mini muffin tins (or loaf pan(s) 2 - 8x4 or 1 - 9x5).
Mix the butter, sugars and egg, until smooth....
Add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, milk, and vanilla until combined....
Last but most important, add the bananas and nuts.....
Stir until just combined. Fill your mini muffin tins to just below the rim....
Bake as follows:
Mini Muffins - about 20 minutes
Loaf Pans - about 65 - 70 minutes
I messed up and cooked my muffins a few minutes too long so they were a bit dry. The flavor was fabulous! I will no doubt be saving (hiding) my bananas so I can make this again very soon! (sorry kids...no bananas this week....hee hee. shhhh don't tell them they're hiding in the liquor cabinet)
Oh...and while I was busy snapping shots, checking the outcome of said photos and trying various angles (with the flash, without the flash....yadda yadda yadda)...I turned around and....
Half of one of my "model muffins" had disappeared!!! WTH?! Look to the right...look to the left... AH HA!!!
You are sooooo busted Natalie!!!!
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Two bananas waiting sadly on the top of my counter - i was thinking about banana brownies, now I've changed my mind.
ReplyDeleteN. is so sweet
Bananas and chocolate are lethal here. I love baking with both. This sounds delicious!
ReplyDeleteThis was a great post! I love your first picture! Great set up! In fact, all your pictures are getting better and better! I hope mine are getting better too. I'm trying to learn how to use my camera's settings.
ReplyDeleteMmmm, banana bread. I've never had it all chocolate before, I bet it's awesome. I (well, my girlfriend since banana bread is her thing) usually use a cup or two of chocolate chips if chocolate is the goal.
ReplyDeletei love banana bread and with the chocolate and nuts in it, i adore it!!!
ReplyDeleteDajana - let me know how yours turn out :)
ReplyDeleteDonna - chocolate anything is lethal!! but ya...add some bananas and nuts and i'm in heaven!
Michele - Thanks :)! Yes you're pictures good but I don't think they were ever bad to begin with. seriously nothing like the blurry things I started out with! LOL
Bob - I never seem to have chocolate chips around. I buy a bag and it disappears. I think someone around here likes to eat them by the handful! LOL
Superchef - good stuff huh!! :)
And I have something brewing in my mind about this bread that I think I'm going to tinker with this weekend. I'm sooo excited. heeee heeeee
LOL!!! ha ha ha...I love them in muffin form. I made it again, but this time I stirred in 1/4 c. of peanut butter and used choc chunks & peanut butter chips...it was super sweet and I think I actually preferred it w/out the pb...but it was good!
ReplyDelete