Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

I'm feeling indecisive today. I prepared these amazing muffins late this morning and I love more than one picture that I took. I've included them all. Please tell me which one you prefer.

I love banana and I love chocolate. A few weeks ago I made some stellar chocolate banana spring rolls. Today I made a recipe I found on AllRecipes.com. After reading through other people's suggestions, I had my game plan. I love that in this day & age you can do more than flip through a cookbook. I always read other people's comments and check out the photos they post so that I can make it as perfect as possible the first time. With this recipe I've adapted the ingredients, as I do with almost all the recipes I find. I cut out the oil and substituted in applesauce and yogurt. I've also combined AP flour with some whole wheat flour. I'm so glad I did because they are fantastic without all of the guilt.

My preschooler was so excited to try one that he actually asked me to take his picture with them. After he tried them he gave them the "thumbs up"!

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup yogurt (plain, vanilla, or banana)
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
  
• 3 medium bananas (1/2 thinly sliced for garnish, 3 1/2 mashed)
  
• 3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the egg, applesauce, yogurt and vanilla.

2. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in bananas and chocolate chips.

3. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

*This recipe yielded me 17 muffins.

Enjoy!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-chip-banana-muffins-2/detail.aspx

Chocolate Banana Spring Rolls

Oh my goodness. I am on a roll. I'm three for three on my last...well...three recipes. I was feeling so confident about using egg roll wrappers that I decided to give this dessert a try. It was fast and easy to make and it tasted just as good as PF Chang's Banana Spring Rolls. If only I had served it with ice cream. That would've been amazing!

I adapted the ingredients and directions to a recipe I found on Pinterest and was able to make this recipe my own. Try it! You won't be sorry.

Ingredients

2 bananas, diced
6 egg roll wrappers
mini chocolate chips
cream (heavy cream/whole milk/2% milk)
1 egg, beaten
oil
powdered sugar

Directions

1. Heat about 1/2" of oil in a frying pan. I set the stove to 6.

2. Place egg roll wrapper facing you in the shape of a diamond. Brush egg around all four sides.

3. Place 2-2 1/2 tablespoons of diced bananas 1/4 of the way up from the bottom. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp of mini chocolate chips. Roll half way up and tuck in sides, then roll all the way up.

4. Place in oil and cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes each side. Remove and place on paper towel to drain off any excess oil.

5. Heat chocolate chips and approximately 1-2 tablespoons of cream in a microwave safe bowl until melted. Drizzle on top of spring rolls.

6. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with ice cream, as desired.

Yield: 6 Spring Rolls

You can also sprinkle butterscotch chips inside and drizzle with caramel sauce.

Becky's Favorite Banana Bread

Once upon a time, a former neighbor shared her banana bread recipe with me. I am thankful to Becky Jackson for providing me with the only banana bread recipe I'll ever use. This banana bread is so incredibly moist that it's hard to imagine someone would bake banana bread any other way. Her recipe includes suggestions for add-ins. I've prepared this recipe a time or two before and I've always added in chocolate chips (I use the mini kind). I've also tossed in toasted coconut. And one day I'll try nuts. If you enjoy a nice slice of banana bread, this one tops the one they sell at Starbucks. Simple to make and easy enough to freeze - if you can manage to get it in the freezer before someone eats it!

Enjoy!

Heat oven to 325F. Lightly grease 2 loaf pans.

Mix together in a med bowl:
* 2 cups flour
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1/2 tsp baking powder
* 1/2 tsp salt

In another bowl, cream together:
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1/2 cup white sugar

Add to butter/sugar:
* 2 eggs, slightly beaten
* 2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 bananas - I mash them with a potato masher or fork)
* 1 tsp vanilla
* 1/2 cup light sour cream

Gently mix dry ingredients into wet - do not overmix.

Optional (add some, none, or all):
* 3/4 cup chocolate or butterscotch chips
* Toast 1 cup shredded coconut in a hot, ungreased frypan. Add 3/4 of coconut to batter, and sprinkle the rest on top of the loaves before baking.
* 3/4 cup raisins or dried berries

Fill pans 2/3 full. Bake about 60-70 min or until knife comes out clean.

Blueberry-Banana Stacks

Having my neighbors back in town and coming over for dinner inspired me to try three new appetizer recipes. Their children were visiting grandparents out-of-state, but I still had three young ones to try and appeal to. I found this recipe in Parents Magazine back in April 2009. Simple, cute, versatile and bite size. They were a hit!

Ingredients:

8 mini flavored popcorn cakes (or mini rice cakes)
strawberry cream cheese
1 banana, sliced
8 blueberries

Directions:

1. Spread popcorn cakes with strawberry cream cheese
2. Place a slice of banana on top
3. Add an extra dollop of cream cheese
4. Top with a blueberry

Frozen Banana Bites

So a friend sent out an invite to a website called Pinterest. I had never heard of it but I had an opportunity to cruise around the site and I fell in love with what I saw. There were recipes (with photos!), DIY crafts that looked really cool, photography and fashion. All these photos of things you like could be "pinned" to your virtual cork board and shared with anyone else on the site. I signed up and started pinning right away. The recipes re-inspired me to get back in the kitchen. Since becoming pregnant, I've been zapped of energy...even though I am now in my 2nd trimester. Now, I have the inspiration to skip my much-needed nap and get cooking.

This recipe needs no cooking, just a little microwaving. I picked up this recipe from http://www.neverhomemaker.com/2010/06/frozen-banana-bites.html. I adapted it slightly since I'm not vegan.

Ingredients:
2 large bananas
1/2 cup chocolate chips, use more if needed
1/2 cup peanut butter, use more if needed
shredded coconut (optional)

Directions:
1. Line a plate/tray with parchment paper
2. Cut bananas into chunks (5-6 pieces)
3. In a microwave-safe bowl, mix then heat the chocolate chips and peanut butter in the microwave on high for one minute or until melted
4. Dip/roll banana pieces into the mixture and lay them out on the parchment paper. Use any remaining mixture to spoon on top of the bananas (no waste).
5. Sprinkle with shredded coconut if desired.
6. Transfer to the freezer for an hour (if you can't wait to dig in) or leave overnight. Cover as desired.

Fruit Salad

Just tossed an organic fruit salad together for lunch. Nothing special...but it was so good and perfect for summer.

Bananas
Strawberries
Blueberries
Pink Lady Apples
Bartlett Pears
White Nectarines