Banana Cinnamon Nutella Swirl Muffins

Yum

Who needs a different variety of muffin?  I do!  I do!

How about a breakfast you can eat in bed, or on the go!

MGG and I snuck away for a long weekend not long ago and stayed at a wonderful little boutique hotel in Santa Barbara.  We just love this town and I have to tell you what impressed me quite a bit was the welcome basket full of baked goodies.  There were fresh chocolate chip and snickerdoodle cookies (who can resist that!) that were scrumptious.  They also gave us a few croissants, and some banana chocolate swirled muffins.

Those muffins were so moist and delicious they are definitely the inspiration for today's recipe.

BANANA CINNAMON NUTELLA SWIRL MUFFINS

So over the weekend I tried my hand at a combination of banana and chocolate using my basic muffin recipe.  Bananas always add great flavor and moistness to muffins and then adding Nutella as a swirl into the muffins just seemed necessary.  Let me tell you...they were easy and tasty!  Hot from the oven these mouthwatering, fluffy, and seductive (yes, I said seductive...) muffins should probably be hidden if you want to save some for yourself, because they will be gone once your family smells them!  After one bite, it's all over!

Can't wait to go back to Santa Barbara and get some more inspiration.
Enjoy!





Banana Cinnamon Nutella Swirl Muffins

Makes 6 muffins


1 1/2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 egg
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Nutella

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a 6 well muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large blow mash your bananas.  Add the egg, oil, milk, and vanilla.  Stir until combined.  Add flour, both sugars, baking powder and soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Stir just until combined.

Divide batter among 6 muffin tins that have been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Add 1 tsp of Nutella to the top of each muffin.  Using a toothpick drag the Nutella through the batter to swirl. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-22 minutes.

Nutella Swirl Banana Bread

Last Thursday was National Nutella Day!

Don't you just love this stuff?  I mean peanut butter is the best and I grew up with it.  But, when I discovered Nutella (chocolate and hazelnut) many years ago from a friend who brought me a jar from an ethnic grocery store I thought it was 'the bomb'!

Since Nutella Day snuck up on me and I didn't plan ahead (it happens) I made this late at night and didn't get it posted for you in time.  But, who says that you can't celebrate today?  or any other day for that matter?  I say "Go for it!". 

I always seem to have some overripe bananas hanging around so I decided to make a banana bread with a Nutella swirl.  Bananas and chocolate go together really really well.  My Banana Chocolate Chip Bread is always a hit, so let's mix it up a little bit.  Now that Nutella is in every grocery store I always have a jar hanging around as well, so putting them together just had to happen.

The result was a luscious, decadent, quick bread that's perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a midday snack.  It won't last long in your house, as it didn't in mine!  I might have contributed to that though.  It's kinda addicting.

Enjoy a little decadence in your life!



Nutella Swirl Banana Bread

makes: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1¼ cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup Nutella

Instructions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt.
In a medium bowl, mix together banana, butter, sugar, vanilla, and milk until well blended.  Add eggs and stir until combined.  Add wet ingredients to the dry and stir just until combined. Divide 1/2 of of the batter into another bowl; stir in Nutella until combined.

Add Nutella batter alternately with plain batter into the prepared loaf pan. Swirl batters together with a knife.

Bake 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan for at least 15 minutes and then remove loaf from pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutella French Toast

I was bad.

I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself.  I promise to do better, really I do.  But I was overcome with a craving for chocolate.  Do you ever get that?

I think us women know about chocolate cravings.  There's something about it...it's creamy smoothness when it hits the tongue.  Melting in your mouth and the warm sensation that follows.  Oh my!  

So I had this craving the other night and it wouldn't stop...I had to have some chocolate.  All I had in the house was a jar of Nutella, cause I don't really keep chocolate in the house.  Plus, I was craving warm....melted chocolate.  You know the kind...like a hot baked chocolate chip cookie with the chips all melty and good.

So I decided to be very, very bad...I was going to make French Toast.  Late at night.
Not just any french toast.  Stuffed...with Nutella. AND made with half and half...cause that was all I had.  (I tried to make them seem less self indulgent by cutting them into cute little triangle sandwiches...cute..but I think I'm fooling myself)

And I did...and I ate it all...and it was GOOD!

No regrets.  Maybe tomorrow though.  I'm sure I'll get over it.

So if you are craving chocolate, and I know you are, try this french toast.  It's killer!

Nutella French Toast

serves 4 (2 triangles each)

4 slices of day old white sandwich bread
2 eggs
1 T splenda
1/2 c half and half
1 t vanilla
2 T butter
Nutella (about 1/4 cup)
Confectioner's sugar (if desired)

Slice each bread into 4 triangles, cutting diagonally.  

In a bowl whisk together eggs, Splenda, half and half and vanilla.  Dip the bread pieces on the bowl, dipping them down to ensure they are soaked.  

In a skillet over medium heat add 1 T of butter and allow to melt.  Add half the bread pieces to the skillet and allow to cook about 2 minutes, or until browned.  Turn over and cook the other side another 1-2 minutes.  Transfer to a plate and cook the remaining batch of french toast.  

Meanwhile add a dollop of Nutella to 4 of the cooked bread triangles, and top with another bread triangle   Remove the second batch from the skillet and continue to coat with Nutella making the remaining sandwiches.  Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar if desired and serve immediately.