Banana-chocolate muffins w/whole spelt

Oh yes, they had to be good. After Saturday full of hard lessons to swallow together with hard dough with burned mozzarella and dead rucola, grainy reheated creme anglaise on watery apples,  I ended it with a cup of chocolate pudding. Correction, Hania was at a birthday party, so I ate hers too. But I'm a big girl, I can face and forget failure fast, as long as nobody is talking to me, asking questions.

I couldn't wait to get up Sunday morning. I couldn't wait to finish breakfast and turn my mixer on. Coincidentally, I had perfectly ripe bananas that had to be used now or never and dark chocolate that lately tastes very bitter when raw. Surprisingly, I was brave enough to experiment a bit. I increased the amount of bananas, substituted half of the white flour with spelt flour and decrease the baking powder from 3 teaspoons to 1. The risk paid off. My muffins are fantastic. Not heavy, not too sweet, with just enough bananas and chocolate to make them exciting but pleasant. 

Muffini del Buonumore on the Italian website were prepared by/for a student. They are recommended during finals. I'm not a student anymore, but that doesn't mean I don't go through finals. They just happen more often than every 3 months.

Recipe adapted from Giallo Zafferano
time: 20 min preparation + 25 min baking + 15 min cooling
makes 12 muffins

ingredients

• 4 small/medium bananas = 330 g ( 3/4 lbs) pulp
• 10 drops of lemon juice
• 125 g (1 stick) butter room temperature
• 125 g (1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon) sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• 2 eggs
• 100 ml (1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon) almond milk or regular milk
• 125 g (5/6 cup) regular flour
• 125 g (1 cup) whole grain spelt four
• 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (4 g) baking soda
• 1 pinch salt
• 150 g (5 oz) dark chocolate (50 % cocoa)

instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F (fan forced function). Prepare a muffin baking form with 12 muffin liners.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a food processor, blend bananas with drops of lemon juice. Chop chocolate with a big knife. Using a sharp, small knife, open vanilla and remove beans. 
4. In a bowl of a standing mixer, using a paddle attachment, beat butter with sugar and vanilla for 1-2 minutes. Add eggs, one at the time. In a thin stream, pour in milk. Add banana puree. Blend it all in.
5. Turn mixer off. Sift in flour mix to butter/banana mix. Add chocolate pieces. Using a wooden spatula, mix it till just combined, not more.
6. Transfer batter into the prepared muffin liners. Place it in the hot oven for 20-25 minutes. Preform a toothpick test with the muffin closest to the oven window. If it comes out clean and dry, muffins are ready!!!!!!!!!!