Chocolate Banana Muffins

Happy memorial weekend!  I hope that you have something planned to celebrate your day off with loved ones.  I know I have a special date. 

Did I mention that my date is with these muffins?  Oh. yeah.  Oh, and Al and one of my leading ladies (hi Kelly!) are tagging along.  I think that Kelly is coming with for the sole purpose of eating these muffins (we sneak-peaked them tonight- and they are irresistible)!  

Tomorrow we will be picnicing at a park, hiking, hitting up a vineyard for wine samples, and visiting the troll statues in Mt. Horeb.  I'M PUMPED.  I'm crossing many things off of my Madison bucket list all in one day- woot woot!  I can't believe that in just over a week I'll be living in Minnesota full time.  Many of my bucket-list items are restaurants, and I don't think that I'll be able to get to all of them in the next seven days with work, all the food in my fridge that I need to eat (more than enough food to last Al and me for way over a week), and the sheer number of restaurants that I want to scope out.

Back to the important thing- these muffins.  I've never been so excited over a baked good- this recipe proves to be a great recipe for modifications over the seasons and years.  I think that next I'll add some vanilla extract, maybe some coconut, and in the winter time add in some cinnamon.  Did I mention that this recipe isn't horrible for your waistline?  Yeah, you're welcome.  Rating 10/10.

Oh- and I want to mention the liners that I used.  Reynolds (the tinfoil company) makes these cute liners that are lined with tin foil so that the pattern on the liner won't fade.  They also make it easier to peel your liners off. 

Ingredients
Recipe adapted from Handle the Heat

3 large ripe bananas- mashed

3/4 cup sugar (I used turbinado)

1 large egg

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (have apples but no sauce?  See note below*)

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the banana, sugar, egg and applesauce.

Mix in the flours, salt, baking soda, and baking powder until combined.

Pour in a tin lined with liners or sprayed with Pam baking spray.

Bake for 20 minutes- or until a tooth pick is inserted into the muffin and comes out clean.

Let cool and keep in a sealed container.

I frosted one of mine with nutella- but I found that I preferred to leave the flavor of the muffin unaltered by frosting.  Yeah, they're that good.

*Slice two apples, and place in a pot with 1/2 cup water.  Turn to medium heat and cook for 15-20 minutes, add water as needed