Moist Banana Muffins

My oldest daughter's favorite comfort breakfast food is Banana Bread.  She was going on an all day field trip with her class that started at 6:00 am...yes, that's right...she had to be at school that early!  It was a VERY long day (she got home at 10:00 pm), but fun and educational.  I wanted to help start her day off right so I baked up these moist and chunky banana muffins to share with her Mimi (grandmother).  Mimi was lucky to be one of the chaperones for the field trip, so I didn't even have to worry all day...what a relief!  Thanks Mimi! 

I got the recipe from her school's published cookbook from last year, contributed by Moms, Grandmas, Family, and Friends of the kids at her school.  My favorite part were the chunks of banana inside the muffins.

Ingredients:

5 Ripe bananas, 2 chopped into small chunks
1 C Brown sugar
1 1/2 Sticks unsalted butter, melted
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
2 C All purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two muffin pans with liners.

In a large stand mixer, add 3 of the bananas and brown sugar and mix for 3 minutes.  Add the melted butter and mix.  Add the eggs and vanilla and mix.  Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into the wet ingredients.  Mix just until combined.  Remove bowl from stand mixer.  Stir in the 2 chopped bananas.  You could also add in some chopped pecans at this point, if you like them in your banana bread. 

Use a ice cream scoop to fill each muffin liner 3/4 of the way full.  Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until just set in the middle.  Do not overbake.

This recipe calls for a cream cheese frosting piped into the middle and some dolloped on top.  These would also be good with a streusel topping.  Enjoy!