Chunky Monkey Muffins

Who doesn't love Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream? Bananas, walnuts & dark chocolate...yum! And that combination works just as well in muffins. I took my favorite banana nut muffin recipe from Tyler Florence & changed it just a bit, using walnuts instead of pecans & adding dark chocolate. They made a perfect Sunday morning breakfast.

CHUNKY MONKEY MUFFINS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 overripe bananas
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly butter 12 muffin tins or use paper liners.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip the remaining bananas and sugar together like you mean it, for a good 3 minutes. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins to fill them about halfway. Give them a rap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.

Bake until a toothpick stuck in the muffins comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before turning the muffins out. Serve warm or at room temperature.