Favorite Banana Muffins and the question of chocolate...

These muffins are gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, and corn-free! Sometimes I add chocolate chips. The thing about CHOCOLATE is that it opens up a whole other can of worms. How and where do you buy chocolate chips that are dairy-free, soy-free, organic, fair-trade, AND free of the ever-present corn alcohol based vanilla extract? The restrictions are so great, it's tempting not to try, but after almost THREE YEARS without any chocolate, here it goes...

Best choice: chop up an organic dark chocolate bar from Equal Exchange and add to the batter! The dark chocolate minis are an awesome treat!!!

Safe choice: Enjoy Life chocolate chips. NO soy lecithin! :) NOT organic. :( NOT fair trade. :(...I'm beginning to see why we didn't eat chocolate for almost three years. Did I mention that?

Incidentally, Tropical Source makes dairy-free, organic chocolate chips. They are not certified fair trade, but they claim their sources employ fair labor practices. I wonder what the term "fair labor practices" means in this instance? I'll have to investigate the international meaning of that term. Is it in the Declaration of Human Rights?

Regardless of your choice: chocolate, no chocolate, soy, no soy, organic or not, fair-trade, less fair-trade, or not fair-trade, these are great muffins!!!


INGREDIENTS:
DRY:
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour/starch
1/4 cup potato starch
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
3/4 sea salt
2 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. cardamom

WET:
4 small or three 3 large ripe bananas
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup agave nectar
3 T safflower oil
1 T vinegar (we use brown rice)
2 T water or milk (we use H2O or coconut milk)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Whisk dry ingredients together.
2. Mash bananas.
3. Whisk wet ingredients into bananas.
4. Incorporate wet ingredients into dry ingredients with a spatula.
5. Incorporate chocolate chips if you can handle the ethical implications!
6. Drop a scant 1/4 cup of batter into each muffin cup. (Lightly oil muffin cups first unless you are using silicone.)
7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.
Makes about 30 muffins.