Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Thanks to everyone who entered to win my Holiday Baking and Cooling Rack Giveaway — it sounds like you will all be in the kitchen A LOT the next few week!

How fun!!!

Unfortunately, there can only be ONE winner…and this time, the winner is:

Congrats Stephanie!! Please contact me with your infomation and I’ll get your shinny new cooling racks in the mail ASAP!

F.Y.I — If you would like to purchase a set of cooling racks {for yourself or as a gift} you can get them at Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, Walmart, Meijer, etc. They are all over the place and only cost around $10!

As for the rest of you bake-aholics…

Think of me as you do your holiday baking this year. Since we’re moving on Dec. 26, I won’t be doing much baking.

However, I already have a freezer full of baked goods that should last us through every holiday party…and maybe even into the New Year {I can’t help it, I’m addicted to planning ahead and I have a vicious sweet tooth!}

Of course I used my hand-dandy stackable cooking racks to save lots of space during my baking marathon!! And one of my all-time favorite recipes to make during the holidays (and year round) is…

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins!

I’m not trying to gloat…but seriously, my recipe makes THE BEST chocolate chip banana muffins around. Well, the recipe is actually from my mom; and who knows where she got it from — but it’s still the best!

Plus it makes a bunch, and it’s really easy to double so you can have banana muffins all winter long.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs — yolks separated
• 1 stick butter or 1/2 c. shortening
• 1 c. sugar
• 4 VERY ripe bananas {I keep containers of 4 in my freezer and simply defrost them}
• 1 T. cold water {don’t do this if you are using frozen and defrosted bananas}
• 2 c. flour
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1/4 t. salt
• 12 oz. bag mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. — Line your muffin tins with paper cups or spray with non-stick spray.
2. Crack eggs — put yolks in main mixing bowl and whites in a separate small mixing bowl.
3. Beat the whites until they are very fluffy; set aside for later.
4. Add butter and sugar to the egg yolks; mix until well combined.
5. Add the bananas and cold water {if applicable} to the egg yolk mixture.
6. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add them to the banana mixture.
7. Stir egg whites into banana mixture.
8. Stir in chocolate chips — FINALLY!!
9. Pour into prepared muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Cool your muffins on cooling racks {you are going to get some aren’t you?} and enjoy the chocolaty goodness.

Oh, and because of the banana — I consider these a health food

These muffins {and the cooling racks} would make great clutter-free Christmas gifts – only 39 days left!!