Sunday, January 4, 2015

Double Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins


This year, our Avid Bakers Group will be baking recipes from Christina Marsigliese's "Scientifically Sweet" blog.  We are all excited to bake from this website, as much of baking is combining chemicals and formulas!  Even 1/4 tsp of much baking soda can throw off an entire recipe.

Christina not only gives us a recipe, but she can also tell us why something is done.  For example, her recipe calls for freezing the bananas.  Why?  She says that you can use overripe bananas, but freezing them first helps to break down the little black fibers for a smoother batter. You can see how she uses this method to make super a super smooth and yellow batter for her Banana Cupcakes with PB Cocoa Frosting in her book!

While making this recipe, I kept thinking of this fun song.  I thought maybe you would enjoy it, also!
"She Blinded Me With Science" music video, with the Muppets   


We started off the year baking her recipe for Double Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins.  It's a basic muffin recipe--you mix dry ingredients together.  Then you mix the wet ingredients in another bowl:

Dry and wet ingredients, separate
I made some changes to the recipe, based on what I had on hand.  Instead of sour cream, I used whipping cream and 1% milk with some lemon juice to sour it.  After 15 minutes, I could see bubbles on top.  It was ready to use.

Instead of using dutch process cocoa, I used Hershey's Dark Special cocoa.  It has part dutch process cocoa, and is much cheaper than dutch process cocoa.  For muffins, I felt that would be fine.  There's enough dutch process in the cocoa to work with the recipe properly.




The dark mixture from the Hershey's Dark Special cocoa!

They baked up really nicely






And how did we taste?  Hubby gave them a "9."  He thought that they could use some frosting or cherries on top. I think they would be better with pecans.  I'm keeping the recipe, but with notes to add pecans next time. 

They were also a bit dry. I'd recommend checking them sooner, maybe at 15 minutes.


Since we are not eating many sweets, these will be given away tomorrow. Some will go to the pest control guys who are coming.  The rest will go to my physical therapists.  "Never underestimate the power of great baked goods," is my favorite saying!


If you would like the recipe, you can find it here: Double Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

If you want to bake along with the monthly Avid Bakers Challenge, you can find more information here:   Avid Bakers Challenge

Thank you for stopping by!

Judy

13 comments:

  1. Your lemon cake looks amazing! I just love lemon curd. Ah..the power of fresh baked good..unleash the power my friend.

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    1. Thanks so much, Virginia! Yes, baking always makes me feel happier!

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  2. I love that song! But the page wouldn't come up for me. :( So funny that you were thinking of it.

    Happy to see you experimenting with substitutions and that they worked! Curious suggestion about the cherries, though -- wouldn't that cover up the banana flavor? Maybe you need to make a separate chocolate cherry muffin! I'm sure that blog has a recipe for them! (And now *I* want chocolate cherry muffins!)

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    1. Thank you so much, Paula! I think hubby would love cherries on anything with chocolate! I made him black forest cupcakes with canned cherries for new years eve. That might be a quick fix for you.

      I fixed the song, it should come up now. Thanks for telling me the page of the song wasn't working.

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  3. Your muffins baked up really nicely! Yeah, I had posted a comment about reducing the baking time (at least for my oven I had to). Glad Larry still have them a 9 though :) If you want a chocolate muffin recipe with no banana, I would recommend her "chocolate buttermilk quakes". I frosted them and called them cupcakes :) Here's the recipe: http://www.christinamarsigliese.com/2014/04/double-chocolate-buttermilk-muffins.html

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    1. Thanks so much, Hanaa! I printed off that recipe, it looks great. I am really loving all her recipes. She even has a strawberry curd recipe that looks good.

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  4. I can't agree more about the power of good baked goods. Lots of love in return! Can't beat that.

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  5. Aren't you clever with your additions and adaptations!

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  6. They look good. No wonder your husband have them a nine.

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