Banana Bread Muffins

I had some bananas that were starting to get kinda spotty, so I decided to make some yummy banana bread. Growing up, I would make banana bread, but the middles of my loaves never seemed to cook all the way through unless I burned the outside crust. Since those younger years I have learned how to make the most amazing banana bread...by turning them into muffins!!! They cook evenly and are just the perfect size to grab and run...no crumbs from having to slice the bread. I tell ya...amazing!!!!!

Makes either: 24 muffins - two 8in loaves - one 9in loaf

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine - softened or melted (either one works for me)
2 eggs
2 cups mashed ripe bananas
1/3 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1 2/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Prep notes: You will want to make sure the racks in your oven are low enough that the tops of the muffins will be in the center of the oven...this helps with the even cooking. Also you will want to mash the bananas and chop the nuts before you start mixing...otherwise, if you do it after you have started mixing, your batter may get stiff.

In large bowl, mix the sugar, butter, and eggs until smooth. Add the bananas, water, and vanilla...mix well. Stir in all the dry ingredients except the nuts and chocolate chips. You just want to mix it until all the flour is mixed in...do not over mix!!! Fold in nuts nuts and chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

If making muffins, grease the bottoms and sides of muffin tins...or you can use muffin liners. Fill with 1/4 cup of batter for each muffin. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle of muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in tins for about 5ish minutes...then using a knife, slowly loosen sides from tins...tip the pan upside down to remove muffins. Let them finish cooling on a wire rack.

If you are wanting to make the traditional loaf banana bread, then grease the bottoms only of either two 8in loaf pans or one 9in loaf pan. Bake at 350, 1 hour for 8in pans, and 1 hour 20 minutes for the 9in pan, or until knife inserted in middle of loaf comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for about 15 minutes. Loosen sides from pan using a knife and then let cool several hours on wire rack before slicing.