Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins

These muffins are delectable, especially when warm. And SUPER easy to make-- you don't even have to get the mixer out! Yay! I used bananas I had in my freezer. The espresso powder was somewhat problematic. You can use instant coffee, but I have tried this with so-so results in the past, so I decided to find the real thing this time. I got mine at Williams- Sonoma, and I've also heard you can get it at Whole Foods.

This recipe is from Smells Like Home.

1 1/2 cups mashed, very ripe bananas (about 4)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, stir together the bananas, sugars, butter, milk, and egg. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, instant espresso powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Fill each cup about 3/4 full. Bake in the center of the oven for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean. Move the muffin pan to a cooling rack, and let cool for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the muffins from the pan and let them finish cooling on the cooling rack. Muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins

These muffins are FAN- TAS- TIC! Easy, yummy... if you're looking for something surprising to bring to your Thanksgiving dinner... this could be it (unless you're expected to bring the turkey-- people might be disappointed :). I will definitely not be reserving these for fall. They deserve to be eaten all the time.

This is yet another recipe from the Nov. 2010 issue of Everyday Food. Yep, this issue was a winner!

For the batter:

10 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature

3 C. all- purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. coarse salt

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1/3 C. buttermilk

1 1/4 C. pure pumpkin puree

3/4 C. light- brown sugar

2 large eggs

For the sugar coating:

3/4 C. granulated sugar

2 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 C. unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Butter and flour 12 standard muffins cups **(I just sprayed with cooking spray and no flour-- too much time and mess). To make batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt , nutmeg, and allspice. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of pumpkin mixture and beat to combine.

2. Spoon 1/3 C. batter into each muffin cup and bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon. Let muffins cool 10 in pan on wire rack. Working with one at a time, remove muffins from pan, brush all over with butter, then toss to coat in sugar mixture. Let muffins cool completely on a wire rack. (Store in an airtight container, up to 1 day.)

These can be frozen, up to 3 months. Reheat in a 350º oven, then coat in butter and sugar.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

This is another recipe I've shared with a few of you. I got it from my friend Melanie, who shares my love of baked goods with chocolate chips in them! :)

Muffins:

1-1/2 C flour

1 C oats

1/2 C sugar

1 TBS baking powder

1 C milk

1/4 C oil

1 egg

chocolate chips (enough to look good!)

Mix until moist and line muffin cups with liners. Fill 3/4 full.

Streusel:

1/3 C oats

1/4 C flour

1/4 C packed brown sugar

3 TBS butter, chilled

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in butter until crumbs. Spoon over muffins. Bake at 350 for @15 minutes.