Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins

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Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins

Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins

Chocolate makes the world go 'round. Well, at least it makes my world go 'round. I savor simple chocolates like a good book I've read a thousand times—slowly, reveling in the familiarity, letting the flavors (and words) linger on my tongue. I've always found something sensual about chocolate. The way warmed chocolate falls off a spoon or the glean and glisten on a pot of melted chocolate make my mouth begin to water. I love the way chocolate pairs with a heady glass of red wine, fashioning a rich ending to a heavy meal.

I'm certain if we gave it a chance, chocolate alone could bring about world peace.

Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins

Chocolate always finds a way to sneak into my day. In the morning, I love a hint of cocoa in my hot cereal. At lunch, I always sneak a sweet treat for dessert, nibbling on bits of chocolate cake or swiping my finger through a tub of chocolate buttercream. In the evening, I grab a few chocolate chips to preempt my inevitable nighttime cravings.

I'm a monster.

Some days I'm certain chocolate runs through my veins.

Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins

Because of my fervent fondness for the cocoa bean, I've been adventurous with my chocolate flavor combinations. Certainly the standard combinations have been done: chocolate and peanut butter, chocolate and raspberry, chocolate and pear. But it's the more unique combinations that bring me greater excitement—chocolate and lemon, chocolate and figs, and chocolate and beets.

Chocolate and pickles, however, is a little too "unique." Let's just say that was never a very good idea.

Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins

These Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins are decadent, addictive muffins that are everything a muffin should be—moist and dense. Imagine a loaf of banana bread in bite-sized form; these are it. The flavors of banana and chocolate blend together easily, but the espresso powder adds a slight twist. Though the espresso flavor is very subtle (in fact, I couldn't find it unless I was really looking), it adds so much flavor depth. The chocolate tones are richer and deeper. The banana flavor is bold and beautiful. Just a hint of something new, creates a different muffin entirely—a muffin you are sure to love.

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Lemon Blueberry Scones

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Lemon Blueberry Scones

Lemon Blueberry Scone

Scones are one of those elusive pastries for me. I know I've mentioned it before, but it's quite rare for me to make a batch of scones and have them actually taste edible, let alone delicious. I've ruined more scone recipes than cakes, cookies, and tarts combined. That is quite a few scones, I might add. There is little more disappointing than tossing a fresh batch of scones into the trash can (all that butter to waste!).

Well, perhaps it is a bit more disappointing when you leave them on the counter to taunt you, hoping desperately that they will taste better the next time you grab a bite. But, as life should have it, scones aren't made of magic and they don't taste better—they might even taste worse. The scones just become a sad, pitiful reminder of what they could have been had you not miserably messed them up. Then you throw them in the trash. That's a bit more disappointing.

Not that I speak from experience or anything.

Lemon Blueberry Scone

The method for making scones is actually quite simple. In fact, if you have a stand mixer, you can whip up a batch in less than five minutes (seriously!). First the butter is cut into the dry ingredients. Delicious extras (like fruit or chocolate chips) are then stirred in before mixing in the wet ingredients, which forms the mess into a dough. Making a batch of cookies is just as complicated as making scones, in all seriousness.

Which is exactly why I'm so confused that I can't seem to master the art of the scone. Perhaps practice will make perfect?

Lemon Blueberry Scone
Lemon Blueberry Scone

Either way, I have been practicing.

The Lemon Blueberry Scones I'm sharing with you today were so good I made them two days in a row. Very few recipes receive that kind of honor from me. The first batch I shared with a few neighbors (after eating two straight from the oven). The second batch was solely for myself, which I later realized was too dangerous an idea for my hips and ended up giving the remaining scones away to save my pants size.

To put it plainly, these scones are so delicious you will have to share them or else risk eating the entire batch by yourself. I think these are the perfect morning breakfast to serve when you've had a few guests spend the night. Not only are there enough scones to go around, but everyone will look at you like a scone-making god.

Now, tell me, who wouldn't want to be looked up to like that?

I think my scone phobia has officially been conquered.

Lemon Blueberry Scone

These Lemon Blueberry Scones balance perfectly on the edge of sweet and tart, moist and crumbly, and light and dense. The scones themselves are not terribly sweet (the blueberries are the primary source of sweetness) and the addition of lemon zest adds a delightful tartness to the overall flavor. The lemon glaze itself is sweet and helps to balance out the flavors (don't skip the glaze!). The texture of these scones is also worth noting. The outside of the scone is dry and crumbly, while the inside is moist and rich, almost like a cake. This makes each bite interesting and a play on opposing textures. The scone is also fairly light (you won't feel like you are eating cake for breakfast), but is dense enough to fill you up.

These scones are worth your time. Trust me.

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Cherry Almond Muffins

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Cherry Almond Muffins

Cherry Almond Muffins

Over the last year I've evolved into a morning person. An early bird, if you will. Waking up with the sunrise and falling asleep shortly after sunset has slowly become a way of life for me. I've grown to embrace it. Some days, I can't even imagine sleeping through the early morning hours I've learned to love.

It never used to be this way.

I suffered from insomnia for many years. I was a night owl by circumstance, not by choice. Growing up, the thought of going to bed was enough to instill a deep dread within me. During my teenage years, it would take me nearly two hours to fall asleep at night, every night. Two hours. I would lay there, staring at the ceiling, imagining far away places and wishing my dreams would take me there. I longed for rest. Reading books, staying away from the television, trying to turn off my mind—nothing seemed to help.

Sleep eluded me.

As a result, I would sleep very late into the morning hours. The idea of waking earlier than 10 am sent shivers down my spine. I became the typical teenager, hardly sleeping during the week and crashing on the weekends.

Cherry Almond Muffins Cherry Almond Muffins

During university, my symptoms only worsened. I would be awake until the wee hours of the morning doing homework or spending time with friends. Unfortunately for me, my courses were always early in the day. Instead of lying awake in bed hoping the sandman would drop by for a visit, I simply didn't sleep. For an entire semester, I averaged between 3-4 hours of sleep a night. I had cured my insomnia, but replaced it with mental and physical exhaustion.

Was it healthy? Certainly not. But it prevented me from spending those long hours in the dark, dreaming of sleep. I've had enough of those hours to last me a lifetime.

Cherry Almond Muffins

Last summer, I was determined to find a healthy balance. Each morning, both weekdays and weekends, I would set my alarm for the same time. I started late and gradually set it earlier over the next few months. I wouldn't go to bed until I was tired. Whether my drowsiness set in at 11 o'clock at night or 2 o'clock in the morning, it didn't matter. When my alarm went off the next morning, it was time to get up. No snoozing. No just five more minutes.

I gave my body a schedule and it had learned to adjust.

Every now and then I still have trouble falling asleep, but my insomnia has essentially disappeared. Though I'm often awake at the crack of dawn, I've grown to love it. My mornings feel long and luxurious, like I'm living on stolen time. I use these new found hours to go to the gym or bake sweet treats for you.

Being an early bird also means I get to enjoy muffins when they are meant to be enjoyed—in the morning, with a cup of tea.

Cherry Almond Muffins

These Cherry Almond Muffins are filling, yet retain a lighter texture. The cherries bring a soft sweetness to each bite. Almonds are mixed into the batter as well as sprinkled on top. During baking, the sprinkled almonds become lightly toasted, adding another dimension of flavor to these simple but delicate muffins. These are best served warm with a small pat of butter.

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