Chocolate-chip banana bread muffins

I had 2 ripe bananas. Two very ripe bananas. No more and no less.

I wanted to make banana bread but you can't make a great banana bread with two average sized bananas and I certainly couldn't go out and buy more overripe bananas. Still, I had to get rid of those two and quick, before they stood up and jumped into the trash can without my help.

Also, I needed something healthy and filling to eat in the car on Saturday morning on our long drive up to Piedmont to visit our dear friends Y&A. Something that wouldn't get little hands too sticky or the car too dirty. Muffins!

And that is how the banana bread muffins were born (I actually thought I was being creative until I googled those words and came up with about a million recipes). I added a little chopped up 72% chocolate I had left over from the chocolate brownies I made last week and some chopped, pealed almonds too.

They were fast (man were they fast!) to make and they were good.

In case you are wondering if I went bananas nuts writing out the recipe, I halved a recipe for 12 muffins from the Joy of Baking website. And changed some of the ingredients. That is why the measurements look weird.

Ingredients (6 muffins)

2 ripe bananas (halved recipe called for 1 1/2)

1 egg

1/2 cup chopped, peeled almonds

a little under a cup flour (115gr)

1/2 cup (I used a little less) brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup unsalted melted butter (and a little extra to grease the pan)

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (in Italy they sell vanilla flavored baking powder so I skipped this step)

6 cubes 72% chocolate (that is what I had left over!)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Grease a 6 cup muffin pan (I used butter). I did not toast the almonds, but if you have time, why not?

Chop them up and set aside. Do the same with the chocolate. In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nuts. Mash the bananas with a fork. In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, the egg, the cooled, melted butter and vanilla. Lightly fold the wet ingredients (the banana mixture) into the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix the batter, it should not be smooth, otherwise you will end up with rubbery bread. Spoon the batter into the muffin tin. Bake about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for five minutes and then remove muffins from pan.