Love Me Tender Elvis-Inspired Muffins

This morning I told Darin I was tired of the house being so messy and that I was ready to clean after church. And so when the children and I returned, I sent them upstairs to get started on their rooms and I rested for a bit before getting to work. As I cleaned the kitchen I noticed the bananas I bought last weekend either needed to be used or tossed. That pretty much means Echo Day will be doing some baking!

The last time I made the kids banana-chocolate chip muffins, it was a pretty big hit. And because I like it when they like me – the kind of like where they are throwing their arms around my waist and declaring me the best mommy EVAR – I decided it was about time for a freakin’ encore up in here.

Enter the baking.

I used a recipe I found online and modified it to include peanut butter chips. These are what you call Elvis-inspired (my kids are Elvis fans, oddly, so that was one way to convince them the muffins would be fantastic before they’d ever tasted them). All we’re missing is bacon fat (no thank you).

(I also baked blueberry muffins for my husband and he asked if I was trying to get out of doing laundry. I hadn’t even thought of that as a plan! Maybe next time? Note: I still didn’t get out of it, it’s still there, waiting to be folded.)

I wasn’t sure how well they’d really go over, but they LOVED them! And so did I! I am the best mommy EVAR once again (even after I made them all cry today!) They will definitely stay in our rotation. Or, well, they will be made again. I’m not consistent enough to have a rotation, let’s be real here.

Love Me Tender Elvis-Inspired Banana-Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Muffins
(Recipe adapted from one found at epicurious.com)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar (I used light brown sugar)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large)
2 tsp applesauce (or 1 large egg)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup peanut butter chips and milk chocolate chips, mixed

All shook up:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line twelve 1/3-cup muffin cups with foil muffin liners. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Mix mashed bananas, applesauce (or egg), melted butter and milk in medium bowl. Stir banana mixture into dry ingredients just until blended (do not overmix). Stir in peanut butter and chocolate chips.

Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake muffins until tops are pale golden and tester inserted into center comes out with some melted chocolate attached but no crumbs, about 32 minutes. Transfer muffins to rack; cool.

But before they cool completely, cut one open, slather on the butter and shove directly into your face. Repeat until you’ve ruined your supper.

These are TO DIE FOR! Just ask Elvis. (Bada-bing! Thanks! I’ll be here all week …)