Absolutely not! Rich? Sure. Decadent? Maybe. But overkill? I would have to say not. These Banana Mocha Chocolate Chip Muffins are a bit of a mouthful to say, but they are homey and delicious to eat in the morning with a good, strong cup of coffee, or even in the afternoon as a not-so-lite snack, with a cup of tea.

These muffins had a little bit of everything contained in the crinkly foil wrapper. Who doesn’t like a banana muffin? Even me, who doesn’t love a plain, ol’ banana thinks they impart a starchy sweetness when baked. And the mocha, really just a bit of a cooled, strong coffee, did not actually make a coffee muffin, but simply lent a richness to this already rich morning treat. Eating these muffins in the morning, accompanied by my usual strong cup of morning brew, was not redundant, it was complementary…very bourgie.

Dense, with a sturdy crumb, and even with the addition of one cup of chocolate chips, not overly sweet, these muffins had it all. In a tasting race, Banana Mocha Chocolate Chip Muffins would beat the pants off of an ordinary Blueberry Muffin (struesel top or not), and would flatten the competition of those sturdy Bran Muffins (fiber and all)! Plus, the addition of coffee in the batter lends a subtle richness that even coffee-haters will enjoy.

Banana Mocha Chocolate Chip Muffins
from The Cheese Board Collective Works

Makes 12-18 muffins depending on size of muffin cups

1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 bananas, mashed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
2 1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and generously butter bottom and sides of muffin cups, or use paper liners.

In a medium bowl, combine the egg, egg yolk, bananas, vanilla, coffee, and sour cream. Whisk well to blend.

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder together into a large bowl. Add salt and sugar, and mix well. Using a hand beater, or electric stand mixer set at a low speed, add the butter pieces one at a time, until completely incorporated, about 4 minutes. Butter should be cut into flour mixture slowly, eventually resembling small peas. Mix in chocolate chips. Make a well in the mixture. Pour in wet ingredients. With a wooden spoon, blend in the wet ingredients, careful not to overmix.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, until batter is just peaking over the top of the pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before eating.