monkeyin' around

Have you ever wondered why monkeys are so commonly associated with bananas? I have. I mean, it's not like they don't eat other things, like spiders.


Now before you say anything, yes, I baked. You didn't expect me to quit completely, did you? This time, I didn't share with my immediate co-workers but instead took the goodies to another department. The reactions I received from those folks were much more favorable, and who knows--maybe word will get back to my office area and jealousy will ensue. Maybe there'll even be an inter-departmental battle for my delicious treats.

Maybe not.


Moving on. I had some bananas loitering in my freezer that I really wanted to use. I initially wanted to make monkey bars so I could segue into my love of that particular playground apparatus. (I could really fly across those suckers.) In the end, however, I chose to go with a bread, using an ice cream concoction from Cold Stone Creamery as my inspiration. Their creation is called "Monkey Bites," and it combines banana ice cream with pecans, coconut, Nestle crunch bar, and bananas.


So I ask again--what does it have to do with monkeys? Rabbits also apparently love bananas, so why can't it be called Bunny Bites? This is the kind of stuff that keeps me awake at night.

But I digress. The base recipe is for peanut butter banana bread, and I simply added chocolate chips and pecans into the batter, and coconut on top (of some). Voila--mission complete.


These are not your typical muffins or bread. The batter was extremely stiff--in fact, I truly believe I could've made cookies out of it. This was further validated by the fact that the spoonfuls (there was certainly no pouring to be done) didn't spread at all in the muffin cups--their shape was exactly the same before and after baking. That's not to say the result wasn't delicious--it was. It was just a bit more dense and cookie-ish than I expected.

No worries--I'll bet neither monkeys nor rabbits would turn it down.


Monkey Muffins and Bunny Bread
(modified from here)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3-4 ripe large bananas, mashed (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup milk
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup coconut, toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line or spray a muffin tin, loaf pan, or other suitable baking vessel.

In a large bowl, stir together the flours, sugars, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, combine the mashed bananas, milk, peanut butter, oil, vanilla, and egg (I blended mine with a mixer). Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Toss the chocolate chips and pecans with a bit of flour and stir into the thick, thick batter.

Spoon the batter into the prepared dish. Bake about 15 minutes for mini muffins and about 30 minutes for mini loaves, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Try not to overbake.