#8 Cocoa Banana Muffins

Today’s new recipe is a muffin that sounded scrumptious, but turned out to be unexciting.  They had practically no flavor at all.  I thought about not even including the recipe because it just doesn’t seem to be worth it at all, but decided I would let you decide for yourself if you wanted to try it.  Should you decide to give it a go, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

I noticed on the recipe that it states you need to use VERY ripe bananas for the flavor to be there, and mine were literally black, so I don’t know what else to do to get some flavor to burst out of these little muffins.  This is the risk you take in trying new recipes.  Sometimes they turn out, but it’s not a good recipe to begin with, so even following directions perfectly doesn’t help.

I was completely distracted today.  Life’s heartache got in my way several times, and I just had trouble concentrating on anything.  Tomorrow is a new day, with new mercies from Jesus, and more grace than I deserve.  And definitely no cocoa banana muffins. 🙂

Cocoa Banana Muffins (recipe courtesy of The Modern Baker)

Makes 16 standard size muffins

1 1/2 cups flour

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 medium bananas, peeled and mashed with a fork to make 1 1/2 cups**

1/2 cup sour cream

12 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

3 large eggs

• Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
• Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl and stir well to mix.
• In a separate bowl, stir together the mashed bananas and sour cream; set aside.
• Combine the butter, sugar, and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on medium speed until well mixed and a little lightened in color, about 1 minute.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating smooth after each addition.
• Decrease the mixer speed to low and beat in 1/2 the flour mixture.  Stop the mixer and use a large rubber spatula to scrape down the sides.  Beat in the banana mixture and once this is well absorbed, add the rest of the flour mixture and mix well.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a large rubber spatula to give a final mixing to the batter.
• Divide the batter equally among the muffin cups in the pan.  Bake the muffins until they are well risen and feel firm to the touch, about 30 minutes.
• Cool the muffins in the pan on a wire rack.

**For the best banana flavor, make sure to use very ripe bananas.  Their peels should be covered with dark brown, if not black, speckles.  If the bananas are not ripe enough, these will taste no better than cocoa potato muffins.

What I liked about these muffins: Absolutely nothing.

What I hated about these muffins: Absolutely everything.