Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Thanks to the mysterious grocery giver from a few days ago, we had some bananas that needed to get eaten. So I thought, “Muffins!” I hadn’t cooked/baked anything with bananas for a long time (because I’m allergic), so when these little beauties popped out of the oven, I regretted creating such untouchable muffins.

Needless to say, if you want to help my husband finish them off, come on over.

Instructions for muffins:

Mix together

• 3-4 large bananas, all mashed up
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/3 c. melted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

In another bowl combine…

• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Pour dry ingredients into banana mixture and stir to combine. Add 3/4 c. chocolate chips, or not. These are okay without chocolate chips. Line muffin tin with liners and fill them 3/4 full. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 17-22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. 

As I type this, I realize I never put in the vanilla extract into mine. That would make them even tastier! Oh well. 

I’m blessed with a husband who will eat anything I make him. Unless it has mushrooms.  🙂

In other news, my future sister-in-law is staying with us while her fiance is part of a wedding tomorrow! We took her to Pops in Arcadia and introduced her to Firefly. Aren’t we good future siblings?

 

Chocolate Cupcakes Filled with Peanut Butter and Dipped in Chocolate Ganache

Say that three times fast!

Here’s how I did it.

These are probably the most complicated and delicious cupcakes I have ever had. They turned out so professional-looking. And all of my friends raved about them.

Usually, when I am baking, I do not think to take pictures until it is in the oven. Until now! Unfortunately, I took the pictures with my smart phone, so they are rather blurry. Sorry about that, dears.

This recipe is a mash-up between Squidoo’s chocolate cupcakes and FoodandWine’s double dark chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter filling. 

It is easy-peasy normal baking stuff until it gets to the filling and dipping stuff, which can take a while to accomplish. I think this entire project took me 2 1/2 hours. Not a quick project, but definitely worth the trouble for the fancy result. It was my first tango with ganache (which is pronounced gah-nosh), but it came together rather easily. This will be quicker the next time around, I think.

Oh, and don’t be afraid of the filling. I always have a lot left over because I secretly think if I squeeze too hard that the entire cupcake will explode. This overcompensation tends to leave me with less filling than needed. Be brave! Get messy! Make mistakes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I filled the cupcakes with a Wilson icing bag/tips set that my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas. But let’s think…if you didn’t have that fancy stuff, you could probably fill a sandwich baggie with icing and fill the cupcakes (especially if you scoop a little cupcake out first). It would be tricky, though.

The recipe:

Chocolate Cupcakes w/ PBFrosting&Ganache

Yield: 2 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients for cupcakes:

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup butter
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Soften the butter at room temperature, while taking the eggs out to also warm to room temperature, approximately 20 minutes. Grease the cupcake pans, and if desired, line them with cupcake wrappers and set aside. Meanwhile, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl, then set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350° F. Beat the butter in a mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the eggs, then add the sugar gradually until fully combined. Scrape the sides and beat again until combined. Beat in the vanilla, adding the milk and flour on low speed. Beat on a higher speed for one minute, or until well combined and smooth.

3. Pour the batter into cupcake pan, filling each indention no more than 3/4 full.

4. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of a cupcake. Cool for at least 15 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from pan to cool completely on wire rack.

Peanut Butter Filling:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

5.  In a medium bowl, beat the peanut butter with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter until creamy. Sift the confectioners’ sugar into the bowl and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spoon all but 3 tablespoons of the peanut butter filling into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch star tip. Holding a cupcake in your hand, plunge the tip into the top of the cake, pushing it about 3/4 inch deep. Gently squeeze the pastry bag to fill the cupcake, withdrawing it slowly as you squeeze; you will feel the cupcake expand slightly as you fill it. Scrape any filling from the top of the cupcake and repeat until all of the cupcakes are filled.

Chocolate Ganache:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

6. In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer. Take it off the heat, add the semisweet chocolate to the cream and let it stand for 5 minutes, then whisk the melted chocolate into the cream until smooth. Let the chocolate icing stand until slightly cooled and thickened, about 15 minutes. Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the icing, letting the excess drip back into the pan. Transfer the cupcakes to racks and let stand for 5 minutes. Dip the tops of the cupcakes again and transfer them to racks. Spoon the remaining 3 tablespoons of peanut butter filling into the pastry bag and pipe tiny rosettes on the tops of the cupcakes.

I had a good amount of melty chocolate deliciousness left over, of which I may have guiltily eaten a third. I should have dipped some strawberries into that stuff!!!

Remember, these are best eaten the same day!

Good luck!

–The Mrs.