I made the yummiest muffins today, and I cannot resist writing about them. Generally speaking, I am one of those people that cooks without a recipe and therefore has some challenges when it comes to baking. But, I had some ripe bananas and was determined to make something really great with them, so I found a recipe and actually followed it- well, for the most part!

I got my recipe fromwww.NoblePig.com, which is a great site and will make your mouth water if you take a gander- and I recommend that you do. Here is her recipe, without my minor modifications (like no chocolate chips, for one). As with all recipes, I also needed to make a little adjustment for humidity/elevation (or whatever causes the consistency to be off) from the original recipe.

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
fromNoble Pig

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2-3 large, ripe bananas (I really suggest using 3)
1 cup milk
3/4 cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter (I used crunchy and it was fantastic)
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1 cup milk chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line and/or grease 12 muffin tins. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and set aside.

2. In another large bowl, combine the mashed bananas, milk, peanut butter, egg, oil, and vanilla and mix well. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until just moistened, then fold in the chocolate chips.

3. Bake for 22-25 minutes or the muffins are slightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool a bit before removing from the tins, then either serve warm or allow to finish cooling.

Anyway, these muffins are spectacular, and now the point about wine. I know the thought of muffins usually conjurs the thought of a nice cold glass of milk. And that is fine, but picture these muffins as a dessert with a bit of melting vanilla ice cream over an open muffin, or perhaps a dollop of sweet crème frâiche and perhaps even (if you are wild and crazy) a tiny bit of honey. I know, this is getting over the top. So, now that you are imagining this wonderful dessert, picture a glass of Zinfandel Port. What could be better than a rich, jammy Zinfandel with peanut butter? Hmmm, what can I open tonight to go with these muffins...?