I would like all my readers to know that I really try to post good, reliable recipes on this blog.  If I don’t really, really like something, I don’t post it.  It may seem like I post everything I try because I post so frequently, but this is not so.  Today I made a batch of muffins that sounded great, but they were just okay – they tasted fine but they sunk in the middle.  I wasn’t thrilled with them, so I won’t be blogging them.  These muffins, however, are AWESOME!  I made these for brunch with the in-laws and some of Ben’s extended family this weekend, and they went over very well with everyone.  Ben even deemed them “the best muffins ever!”  

These were absolutely fantastic in flavor, texture and shape.  The only thing I would change next time would be to add more espresso powder as I felt that flavor did not come through as much as I would like.  Ben and his grandmother both said they could really taste it though, so I suppose I will leave that up to your discretion.  I used a mixture of dark and semisweet chocolate chips because that is what I had on hand, and I loved the combination.  Enjoy!

Recipe Rewind: tried and true favorites I’ve made recently
Black Bean and Salsa Soup 

Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins
Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2-1 tsp. espresso powder (depending on your taste)
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
1 large egg
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature 
1 cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.  In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, espresso powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir together and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the mashed bananas, sugar, brown sugar, butter, milk, egg and mascarpone.  Mix on medium speed until well combined.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed just until incorporated.  Gently fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. 

Source: adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody