Confessions of a Chocolatier

As Summer is winding down and Fall is upon us, I find myself wanting to bake. So when some over ripe banana’s were staring me in the face I had no choice but to mash them! Of course chocolate always makes things  better and with their addition to these tasty treats, who can resist?! I always make muffins on the small side to help curb part of the calories also yielding a dozen and a half muffins rather than just one full dozen. You can also freeze these wrapped in cello and placed in an airtight container to enjoy at a later date. I always find thawing works best in the fridge for a day and then on the counter to room temp before enjoying.

Creaming is the most important step to making this recipe great! This process incorporates tiny air bubbles to ensure the batter will rise properly and be light and airy. If the butter is too cold or the ingredients are over beaten this can cause a release of these bubbles, creating a dense flat muffin. Notice my photo….. yes flat! I did make this mistake by using cold butter AND by creaming with a fork. It is possible to do this by hand but one should use the mixer attachment, which I also did not. Plus, doing it by hand is just tiring and better results will always come if you just use the mixer, properly of course. So butter temp should be around 65-70 degrees and you should always start my mixing on low speed first and then switch to medium once ingredients have been incorporated. The key is to create a fluffy mixture that has increased slightly in volume and lightened in color. And remember- Don’t over Beat!

Obviously I learned this after my baking session but I know there will be many more to come. Hopefully then, I will add some photos of my new and improved fluffy muffins! Good Luck to YOU!!