Diet bad, muffins good

The problem with trying to be healthy, and therefore denying yourself cake, is that you can only hold out for so long. Then, at ten-o-clock at night when you absolutely must must must have cake, you make a batch of banana chocolate chip muffins. Then two of you eat the entire batch in a matter of days... or hours. 

I'm not on a diet, as I generally think they're stupid, and clearly I'm not very good at them. I'm just hoping to shave a little off here and there before the long-awaited CupcakeQ/Latino Man wedding in July. Obviously I can't cut out chocolate, so I've been trying to avoid refined grains, non-chocolate-related-sugar, and junk food in general, with moderate success. My one concession to my not-diet when making these muffins was to use wholemeal flour instead of white. Given that I'm allowed to eat all the chocolate I like, and banana is a fruit, and therefore doesn't count in any consideration of daily allowances, these muffins are practically ok. I just need to adjust the recipe so I only make two of them.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins 

2 cups wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking powder (or 1/4 tsp if you live at 2640m above sea level)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
Enough milk
1 banana, mashed
1/2 cup of chocolate chips (or chop up the Amedei and Domori chocolate bars that now taste like lavendar because you accidently left them in a cupboard with a bottle of lavendar essential oil)  
1 tsp of vanilla essence or vanilla powder 

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time whilst mixing, then the vanilla powder and mashed banana. Mix in the flour and baking powder and add just enough milk to make a thick batter. Stir until just combined. Fill the muffin tray about 3/4 of the way, and bake for 12 - 15 minutes, or until the tops are nicely browned. Makes about 18 cupcakes which is 16 too many for a single evening. 

Comments

[Amy Carson]

I cannot wait to see you in July - you HAVE to bake me some yummy goodness :) I'm going to try this recipe, I know Latino Man's brother will LOVE it!

[CupcakeQ]

Amy, let me know if they last more than a day!

[Lindsay]

Gorgeous! This post is appropriately timed, because lately I've been treating myself to muffins, too. In my case they're a concession to restricted spending, so 'eating out' now means searching the city for the biggest, tastiest, most extreme muffin top to bottom ratios I can find. They must cost $3 or less, and they're usually a replacement for lunch. The pride I feel in feeding myself for $3 or less overshadows the fact that I'm eating MUFFINS FOR LUNCH. I must say that Whole Foods knocked it out of the park last week with theirs, though I'd rather try one of yours Suz!