Here’s yet another great excuse to let bananas get too ripe! The fruit, coconut, and chocolate chips make this a very special treat for Christmas breakfast, or bake them in holiday cupcake papers and serve them as dessert!
1/2 C. butter or margarine, softened
1 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 C. mashed ripe bananas (2 medium)
1 11-oz. can mandarin oranges, drained and chopped slightly
1 C. flaked coconut
1 C. mini chocolate chips
2/3 C. sliced almonds
1/2 C. maraschino cherries, chopped
1/2 C. chopped dates
Preheat oven to 350º. Cream the butter/margarine and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and add to the creamed mixture along with the bananas. Stir in the fruits, coconut, and nuts. Spoon batter into sprayed muffin tins, about 2/3 full. Bake about 15 minutes or until just golden and firm in the centers. Cool in the pan ten minutes and then remove to a rack to cool completely. About a dozen. Freezes well.
Kitchen Hint: Because this recipe leaves part of a package of dates, I usually double the recipe to use the whole box. To save time or serve this as a breakfast cake, you can pour the batter into a sprayed 9×13” pan and bake it about 25 minutes, or until just firm in the center. Cut it into squares when it’s cooled.