banana espresso chocolate chip muffins

Old bananas and chocolate chips and espresso powder, oh my! That's what is left in my kitchen...or was left in my kitchen before these muffins happened. And they Rocked. My. World. Sure, they look like little  plain Jane muffins. But don't let them deceive you. These muffins are horribly, horribly addictive...like it's dangerous to have just the two of us in the apartment together. Them and me. I'm helpless to resist their pull. Danged muffins.

Okay, enough about muffins. I have far more pressing matters to discuss today. Namely, The Bachelorette. If you are not watching this season, feel free to tune out now and go make muffins. I support that decision. Otherwise, let's have a serious talk about Emily and her many bachelors. Here is my honest assessment of the situation thus far...

...on Emily
This girl is perhaps the closest thing to a real-life Barbie I've ever seen...and it makes me super uncomfortable. Plus, she is also the sweetest, most soft-spoken little thang I've ever seen. I think one of the other contestants from Brad's season said she was a "Barbie with the soul of a nun" or something like that. And it's totally true.

HOWEVER, I'm still not convinced that the girl has a personality. I keep waiting and waiting and waiting...but nothing. Just blank expressions and niceties. Like a Stepford wife or something. It's unsettling, to say the least. Fingers crossed her personality will emerge at some point. Otherwise, we should probably check her for batteries. Nobody is this perfect all the time!

...on the Bachelors
This is definitely the best looking group of bachelors I've seen in a loooong time. They're all very Abercrombie, aren't they? However, they are all turning out to be a little too frat-tastic for my taste. I'm beginning to think this is just a gaggle of bros. The abundance of salmon shorts and defined jaw lines were the first signs. And now all this surging testosterone is just getting a little ridic. Ryan telling Emily she'd make a good trophy wife? Silly man-boys arguing over the significance of being 25 vs. 30? Knee socks? I'm not sure I can take much more. I swear, if I see layered, popped collar polos, I might have a seizure.

So, anyway, that's my honest-to-God assessment thus far. How is a perfect girl to find a baby daddy if not with this motley gang of frat boys? What is the world coming to when it's this hard to find love on a reality TV show? (sigh) I'm gonna go eat a muffin.

Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:
3-4 medium over-ripe bananas (1 1/2 cups), mashed
1 cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
1 egg, whisked
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. espresso powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line a 12-cup muffin pan.

In a mixer, combine mashed bananas, sugar, and butter. Mix until well blended. Add milk and egg. Slowly add the flour, espresso powder, baking soda and salt and mix until smooth. Add in the chocolate chips.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 15 minutes in the pan before transferring to cooling rack to cool completely.

Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 days.

Yield 12-14 muffins

Source: The Pastry Affair