Kate's Fav

Kate calls these muffins "crack muffins".  And I have to agree.  They're so good they're addictive.  What could be better than banana muffins flavored with espresso and then studded with chocolate chips.  Nothing.  Absolutely nothing.

I came to make these muffins the same way I end up making anything banana.  I had a couple of over ripe bananas sitting on the counter and I was looking for something to do with them.  As you know, I've made a zillion banana breads and muffins, and honestly they've all been good.  Let's face it.  Banana muffins are about the easiest thing in the world to make.

I was perusing Baking for Friends by Kathleen King (owner of Tate's Bake Shop in Southampton, NY), and came across this recipe for banana mocha muffins.  Everything I've made from this cookbook has been beyond, so I knew these would be delicious as well.

I wasn't wrong.  Kate went nuts.  She ate the whole dozen in just a couple of days.  That's how good they were.  Usually she loses interest in my baked goods within a day or two, but this time she ate every last muffin.  Ted and I barely got a crumb.

Recipe:  Banana Mocha Muffins
(Baking for Friends, Kathleen King, 2012)

Ingredients:


2 1/2 C unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. instant coffee (or 1 1/2 tsp. instant espresso powder)
1 Tbsp. boiling water
1 1/3 C mashed fully ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
1 1/4 C sugar
2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 C semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:


Preheat oven to 350 degrees (I did 350 degrees); grease a muffin tin tray.

Cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy.  Add the egg, mix again then set aside.   In another bowl add the coffee to the hot water; stir to dissolve.  Stir the mashed bananas into the coffee.  Add to the butter/sugar mixture and stir until incorporated; set aside.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.  By hand, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet.  Fold in the chocolate chips.  Divide the batter evenly into the prepared muffin tin tray.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes, remove from pan then cool completely on a wire rack.