In a decade far far away, but really like 6 blocks from where I live, I worked in a different office than I do now. And at that office, it was the job of two people, annually, to chair the “Sunshine Committee,” which consisted of exactly two people, and served as a morale booster for the employees. I was younger then – much younger – and had endless time, as it appears when I recall my days and hobbies. I was teamed with another young lady, and ensuring the happiness of 40+ people was serious business for us. We made a commitment to celebrate each person’s birthday in the office with a homemade treat and a handmade card. We were amazing. It was “only baking for 20 people” for each of us. A bargain.
We had the time, and the interest. Ah, the ’00s.
My co-chair, CO, used to make a banana bread with chocolate chips and peanut butter, and freeze it sliced, bringing a chunk in for the birthday person. I found that recipe in my stack-of-loose-paper-recipes, printed on goldenrod paper (I must have known I didn’t want to lose it) in response to a chain email asking for recipes. CO was uninterested in participating in a chain email {pause: has any chain anything ever worked for anyone? Bueller?} but was happy to share as many recipes as I wanted with me.
And so, I received this bad boy.
A few weeks ago, my friend MP asked what inspired me when I was blogging. I immediately (like, surprising myself with my immediacy) responded that recipes I have been making forever – and maybe fell out of rotation once I really started cooking because they were too “regular” or seemed old or dated – were what got me excited. I told her about how when I got the idea to post my Classic Spinach Artichoke Dip recipe, I did it all in one day, including cooking, photos, photo editing, and posting – which is definitely an accelerated timetable for me. I have come to underestimate the nostalgia factor – and really good food – from years past.
It got me to thinking. What else did I used to LOVE that I had forgotten about?
And this banana bread recipe came to mind.
But I looked out my window, and saw that I didn’t have time for a loaf to bake (OMG that sounds more frontier settler than I intended) if I wanted the chocolate to be authentically melty for the photos (… we have moved away from the frontier into a high-rise), and decided to make it into a muffin recipe instead, which would cut the bake time at least in half.
And although I am usually (happily) a one-trick pony – banana, chocolate, OR peanut butter should be enough for crying out loud – I embraced what I was already envisioning in my head as a decadent, spill-over treat that was still arguably appropriate for breakfast.
And thus:
The recipe was obviously a Pampered Chef find – the specific instructions detailing which implements to use to stir and to be stirred in were a dead giveaway. Nothing wrong with that – I love my Pampered Chef batter bowls and the measurer that will measure anything including honey and peanut butter with ease and no mess. The version of this recipe I have printed out varies a bit from the online version I just found, but is pretty close.
This was a fulfilling one to bring to work, and worked equally well as breakfast with morning coffee (you must be forgetting the BANANA part – super healthy 😉 ) and as an afternoon pick-me-up. These muffins are dense like banana bread, with the savory addition of peanut butter, and not-too-too-sweet dark chocolate amping it up. I added a few twists from the Pampered Chef version. Enjoy!
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose white flour
- 1 c sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- .5 tsp kosher salt
- 2-3 very ripe bananas
- ⅓ cup milk (I use skim)
- ⅓ cup peanut butter (I used an all-natural, no-salt version)
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil (I used canola)
- 1 egg
- 1 cup dark chocolate chunks (then roughly chop them)
- .25 cup dry roasted unsalted peanuts (then roughly chop them)
- Heat the oven to 350 and spray the cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with vegetable oil.
- Place the dry ingredients in a large bowl (stand mixer usually for me) - the flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the wet ingredients - bananas, milk, peanut butter, oil, and egg - and stir or mix until the dry ingredients are moistened. If you are stirring by hand, you will want to make sure the bananas are mashed and the egg is scrambled or broken up before mixing everything together.
- Stir in half of the chopped chocolate chunks.
- Fill the muffin tins ⅔ to ¾ full. I use a large cookie scoop to keep from dripping and make sure they are all about the same size.
- Top each muffin with some chocolate chunk pieces and chopped peanuts.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until they feel firm to the touch when you press on the top.
Adapted from: https://www.pamperedchef.com/recipe/Desserts/American/Peanutty+Chocolate-Banana+Bread/90681
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