Friday 4 July 2014

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins


Yesterday, I was home sick. I had a really bad case of food poisoning. The day before, I started having mild nausea. I had attended a two day seminar prior to that and I went crazy with the desserts. hah..hah...I ate 4 slices of chocolate mousse cake. And oh, a slice of blueberry pie too. Naughty, eh? 




I could not sleep well because my stomach started feeling funny. Just past midnight, I got up and I knew I had to throw up. I hate that. What comes up smells and tastes awful (sorry for too much information). Huwekkkkk.....huwekkkk.....gosh it was awful. I wonder if my neighbor heard me. I felt better after that and went downstairs for a drink.



Then I tried to go back to sleep. At 2:30am I got up because my tummy felt acidic. I had to get a drink any maybe eat something light to ease the discomfort. When I reach the fridge, another wave of nausea hit me. I was feeling weak and had to drag myself upstairs, all the while holding back lest I throw up all over the stairs. In the toilet, I threw up again. After cleaning up, I went downstairs again for a drink of oral rehydrating salts. I also ate some chocolates and promptly felt better. But I was so weak and tired the whole day. I'm OK now. I felt that I was doing penance for my gluttony at the buffet. Serves me right!



Now back to muffins! When I first started baking, this Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin, was my first ever muffin attempt. Due to my inexperience, the muffins turned out very hard hah..hah...I over mixed the batter because I found it difficult to mix the dry and wet batter. I kept seeing the flour and I went on mixing and mixing and mixing. It took a few more attempts before I could combine the batter with the least possible strokes of the spatula.


Along the way, I learnt that buttermilk produces softer and fluffier muffins. I used to buy buttermilk from either Tesco or Aeon and I find that most of the time, there is no stock. I know that we can make our own buttermilk but somehow I never tried. Subsequently, I found that yogurt produces the same effect.


Up till today, Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, is my favorite muffin. Every time I end up with very ripe bananas, I take  a walk down memory lane and bake my favorite muffins. These muffins are soft and fluffy, just the way I like it!










Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Recipe Source : A mish mash of the many mufin recipes I sourced from the internet
Makes 12 regular sized muffins

Ingredients :
- 230 grams self raisng flour
- 2 medium sized ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 113g butter, melted and cooled
- 280ml plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips plus extra for topping
(I left out sugar because the ingredients are sweet enough. Please add if you prefer sweeter muffins)

Method :
1. Preheat oven to 160C
2. Line muffin pans with paper liners
3. In a mixing bowl add mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract. Stir to mix.
4. In another mixing bowl, add flour and 1 cup chocolate chips. Mix to coat the chocolate chips with flour and make a well in the centre.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour and lightly fold until just combined. Do not overmix.
6. Scoop batter into lined muffins pans and top each muffin with a few chocolate chips.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.


54 comments:

  1. Lately Im in so craving for muffins eversince I have made moist and soft muffins and Im still in searching what other flavour to make into. This banana chocolate chips sounds really good.

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    1. Mel, muffins are great for something quick to eat!

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  2. Muffins and food poisoning post. What a combo! :P

    Glad to hear you're better now.

    The muffin looks delicious. Send me some, please? HIhihi

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    1. hah..hah...hope it didn't make you lose your appetite. Just as well Lina you are fasting! Sure I can send some for your sahur :)

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  3. We can make our own buttermilk by mixing milk and lemon juice, yes? But if you say yogurt has the same effect, I belif you, and I will go get yogurt instead.. Yep, I also realize most of my muffins are very hard leh.. But previously, I used cooking oil instead of butter.. Am bookmarking this recipe.. In fact, I've already snapped the ingredients with my phone.. Easy..

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    1. Louiz, these days I just go for yogurt and don't bother with buttermilk. Some of my muffins also use oil. Hope this muffin works out well for you and Kenzie will eat it :)

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  4. Must be nice. I love banana cake with chocolate ice cream.

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    1. Arthur, I wonder if banana muffins also go with ice-cream :)

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  5. ah, finally after a few savory dishes you ate back to baking sweet stuffs, sweet as in the taste as well as how they make us feel about it, hehe..

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    1. SK, lately not so much mood to bake. Maybe due to hot weather :(

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  6. banana and chocolate!! oh, the always perfect match!! and your muffins look indeed very presentable and tempting.. look at the bright colors, so unusually inviting as compared to common banana cakes/muffins that are usually darker in colors.. and those chocolate chips certainly add to the mouthwatering factor.. nice!!!

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    1. Yeah, banana and chocolate are best friends! They smell and taste good together and so far this is my favorite kind of muffins.

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  7. Poor PH, sorry to hear what you went through. However, glad to hear that you are ok now. Take it easy.

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    1. Thank you, Veronica! I am better now but my digestive system is still upside down :(

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  8. PH hope you are ok now, take care. and yes, banana chocolate is another good combination too, the muffins looks yummy.

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    1. Thanks, Jess! These muffins were very good, so soft and fluffy.

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  9. Hope you are feeling better now. Aiyo ... The muffin loos so tempting here ! :P

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  10. It has been quite sometimes since i bake muffin...

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    1. Ah...can bake some soon and show us!

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  11. Hi, how many bananas need to be added?

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    1. Hi Catherine! Sorry I missed out the bananas earlier. Two medium sized :)

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  12. No crumbs photo? looks like I have to bake my own to know huh! Looks great on the outside:D Actually, I don't mind throwing up, get rid of some unwanted calories haha! Just kidding...hope you are well now.

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    1. Jeannie, forgot lah...But I can assure you that these muffins have tender crumbs :)

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  13. Sounds like you and I have something in common! Desserts Maniac we both are! I like to "attack" desserts first when it comes to buffet.. I wonder who else does that.. hahaha... So you suspect that the desserts might have cause food poisoning? Anyway, on the positive side, it is kind of detoxification when it comes to gwekkk.. gweek...
    Hope you are back to your normal self now! :)

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    1. Thanks, Claire! Next time I won't be so greedy hah..hah,,,

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  14. Hi Phong Hong, your muffins look good with all the chips on top. Drooling for some...

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    1. Kimmy, since you are now into baking muffins, I hope you try these. Ho liao!

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  15. Hi Phong Hong, glad you are better now, take care. Yes my kids' fav muffins :)

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  16. Hi Phong Hong,
    Food poisoning, I hate that when it happens to me! Makes me weak and restless!
    Glad to know that you are OK now.
    Your mufiins looks great, moist and with the choc chips, irresistible!
    Buttermilk is so expensive that I've always use a mixture of my homemade yoghurt (which I always have) and milk.
    Have a great and delicious weekend!

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    1. Hi Joyce! I was still weak after two days and had digestion problems. But I am alright now, won't be long before I enjoy my food with gusto!

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  17. Hi Phong Hong, Mmm... your muffins look yummy. Love the chocolate chips on top.
    Take care!

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  18. Banana and chocolate is a great combo with some yogurt thrown in they make the best muffins :)

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    1. Now I always add yogurt to my muffins!

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  19. Hope u r feeling better. Yah buttermilk is easy to make, I think it's just lemon juice with some milk. Like your banana chocolate chip muffins a lot!

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    1. Thank you, Yen! These are my fav muffins :)

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  20. Hope you are getting better, take good care!

    This muffins looks yummy, kinda easy too!

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    1. Thanks, Hayley! Bake some for Aden!

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  21. Hope you're feeling much better now!! :) I've ever only gotten food poisoning once but it was a really mild case so I was fine after a couple of hours- yours seems terrible!! Your banana chocolate chip muffins look amazing though!

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    1. Thanks, Von! I'll have to be more careful with what I eat.

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  22. So sorry to hear about your food poisoning, hope you're recovering well. Since you're into baking & cooking, come & join our NuNaturals NuStevia Goodies Facebook International Giveaway! Simply like, tag & share to win attractive prizes!

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    1. Thanks you, Shirley! OK, will come and join the giveaway!

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  23. Oh Phong Hong, did you say that you ate chocolate then feel better? You really are a chocoholic even when you are unwell! I hope you are feeling much much better now so you can eat the simple-but-delicious banana + choc chip muffins!!!

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    1. Diana, chocolate cures everything, right? LOL!

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  24. OMG! I wanted to cry when i saw your Banana Muffins. I remembered eating them often in San Francisco everyday during my student breaks. It was Winter and one poor student sold it by the roadside while it was still warm and nice. He didn't add choco chips like yours which would make them taste even more heavenly! I often wondered why they always sold huge sized muffins in US? Many have big mouths like Gorillas! Wakakaka

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    1. Hi TM! American serving sizes are big and I really don't mind having one huge muffin. Gorilla? hah,...hah....

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  25. Food poisoning is terrible! Glad you are better now. These muffins look delicious!

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  26. I missed these yummy muffins...yumm! Glad you didn't end up at the hospital, Phong Hong! Sorry that I just found out about your food poisoning!

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    1. Hi Elisabeth! It is better late than never, eh? Don't worry, I'm all good now :) Thank you for your concern!

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