Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

It's almost the middle of August here and I am wondering where this summer went!  I haven't been on here much because I am have busy traveling and visiting with people.  We are also in the middle of redoing our kitchen, so that makes it hard to do much baking!!  We keep changing our mind on how we want to do the kitchen, so things are everywhere!  One of the counter tops is even ripped off and leaning against the wall.  What a mess!  So hopefully the wheels will start turning on the remodel and I will be back to baking soon enough!  

But for now, here are some yummy muffins I made a little while back and forgot to put on here!  I recently got some of these fun little baking cups (my design is different because I found them at a little store near me, but The TomKat Studio sells them online!).  I wanted to see the difference between normal baking liners and these new baking cups.    

I wouldn't use the baking cups for everyday use and all the time, because they are more expensive, but they kept the muffins extra moist and none of the muffin stuck to the cup when I peeled it away.  You know how  when you use some muffin liners, a little of the muffin sticks to the paper and you don't really eat that (unless of course you try to eat it by scraping it off the paper with your teeth, which I would not recommend!).  

The baking cups are nice because you don't need a muffin tin to bake them in.  Simply place the cups on a sheet pan and you can fit more in, since they can be right next to each other.  Also, they are just extra special and cute, so they would be great for a party when you want those extra details.  

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

adapted from Food Network recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3 medium bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. vanilla 
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°.  Line 12 muffin cups with liners.  *You may get a couple more than 12*
2. In large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together: flour, baking soda, brown sugar and salt.
3. Add bananas, eggs, oil, milk and vanilla.  Mix until just combined.  **Do not use mix**
4. Stir in the chocolate chips.  
5. Fill the muffin tins with batter.  When you put the muffins in the oven, turn the temperature down to 375° and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and a knife comes out clean.
6. Cool muffins and serve warm or room temperature.  

To remove the muffin from the baking cup, simply tear the paper cup away from muffin gently.  It should come off nice and clean!

Is it me or does mine kind of look like a sad face in the middle with the chocolate chips?!  Haha... just wanted to share!  

Enjoy!

National Peanut Butter Cookie Day!

I made these Peanut Butter Cookies for my cousin's high school graduation and then I just found out that it is National Peanut Butter Cookie Day!  What a great time to share my recipe with you!!  

I could eat these cookies all the time!  I am kind of on a peanut butter kick these days.  Especially peanut butter and chocolate!!  So I am also going to show you how can you turn your basic Peanut Butter cookie into a Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookie!  You simply just add chocolate chips to the dough and ta da!  You've got Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies!!  I did half and half because I love them both ways.  

I have had people ask me whether adding an extra ingredient into a baked good will still work or if it will ruin the recipe.  You know, the whole "baking is a science and has to be exact" thing.  For the most part, I agree with that.  You can't forget the baking powder or add too much salt and expect it to turn out right.  But, adding something to a recipe like chocolate chips or nuts most likely won't change the outcome for the recipe.  Now, I am saying most likely won't change it.  Every recipe is different, but luckily for us, this recipe is delicious with some extra chocolate chips or peanut bits added in!  

Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• Granulated sugar, as needed
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. 
3. Add the egg, peanut butter and vanilla.
4. Slowly add the flour, baking soda and salt, and mix until just combined.
5. If desired, stir in the chocolate chips and/or chopped peanuts.
6. Form the dough into 2 inch balls, and roll in sugar. 
7. Place on baking sheet, and gently press down with a fork in a crisscross pattern.  Or if you are making them with chocolate chips/nuts, gently flatten with the palm of your hand.  
8. Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Everyone needs to have a good Peanut Butter cookie recipe and this one is delicious!  Happy National Peanut Butter Cookie Day... now go bake some cookies!!  

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

I don't know about you... but bananas and chocolate is one of my favorite combinations!!  

One of my favorite places to get dessert is the Melting Pot.  I always get the Flaming Turtle chocolate fondue and out of all the yummy dippers they give you, bananas are probably in my top 2 favorites!  I also love the cheesecake, and that's where the icing comes in!

So, a couple summers ago I was babysitting some kids and we wanted to make a dessert.  And this is what we made!  Banana Chocolate Chip bars!!  So yummy!  But it needed a little something extra.  This time, I decided I would make a frosting for the top.  What's better than Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting?!  I am a big lover of making Cream Cheese Frosting.  It is so delicious and easy to make!  

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

Ingredient:

• 3/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2-3 mashed bananas
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 oz. chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar in a mixer or using a hand mixer.
3. Add the egg, vanilla and bananas and mix until combined.  *I simply put the banana in my hands and squeeze it until it is mashed up.  There is a picture of this below.
4. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix until just combined.
5. Stir in the chocolate chips.
6. Spray a 13x9 baking dish with a non stick spray.
7. Pour the mixture into the pan and spread out.
8. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 8oz. package of cream cheese, softened to room temp.
• 4 oz. butter (1 stick), softened at room temp.
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa, I used Double Dutch Dark Cocoa, but you can use any kind.
• 1 tbsp. vanilla

Directions:

1. In bowl, mix cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. 
2. Add powdered sugar, cocoa and vanilla, and mix slowly at first until everything is incorporated.  
3. Then, mix on high for a couple minutes until the frosting is completely combined and light and fluffy.
4. Spread on a completely cooled cake and enjoy!

Butter and sugars light and fluffy.  

Green eggs from my Mom's chickens!  (They are a brighter green in person, but for some reason they look really light in this picture... I don't know!)

Mashing the bananas in my hand.

Chocolate chips I used.

Butter and cream cheese for frosting.

Mmm... this frosting is SO good!

I served the cake with vanilla ice cream, a cold glass of milk, sliced bananas and some chocolate chips!  

Let me know if you love this recipe as much as I do!!  

I may go have a slice right now!  :-)