Fruit Flies! Strawberry/Banana Muffins with a hint of Mocha

Ha! Lookie there! I finally killed those bananas!

I am not a fan of banana bread.....

Wait!

Please don't leave....

Give me a chance to explain....

Banana bread to me is so traditional. So common. So everyday. So plain.

I like to kick things up, make changes, and offer new ideas to kill those dreadful brown bananas. You know, the ones that don't get eaten, and they sit on your kitchen counter or in your fruit basket until they draw fruit flies.
Well, swish those flies away, because this recipe is fantastic!

The inspiration for this recipe came from Baking and Cooking, the Tale of Two Loves. When I came across this recipe and the words 'raspberry swirl banana', I knew I had the answer to my banana dilemma. Thank you so much Becky for inspiring me.
I had strawberry jam in the fridge and bananas that were drawing fruit flies. Perfect combination! But wait! Chocolate is scrumptious with strawberries and bananas. Right? Right!

One thing I would do differently when I make these again.....I would make a hole in the muffin batter to place my jam. While they were baking the jam ran off of the top of the muffin. Thank goodness there was a little left on the top after the baking process.

Hold on.....I now have to clean the burnt strawberry jam from my oven......

Okay, I'm back!

Now for the recipe:

Strawberry/Banana Muffins with a hint of Mocha
Inspired by: Baking and Cooking, the Tale of Two Loves

1/2 c. fruit spread (I used home-made strawberry jam)
1 3/4 c. flour
1 pouch VIA Iced Coffee (Starbucks)
1/4 c. cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/4 c. canola oil
A splash of vanilla
1 c. mashed ripe bananas (about three whole bananas)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Whisk together dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
In a mixer bowl, mix sugar, ricotta cheese, oil, vanilla, and mashed bananas. Mix well. Add eggs one at a time mixing well after each addition.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. Stir lightly just until everything is incorporated. Do not over mix.
Line a muffin tin with paper liners and fill each cup with muffin dough. I fill mine almost to the top of the papers. Make a whole in the batter of each cup and add about a teaspoon of strawberry jam.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 - 18 minutes. When wooden pick tests clean, they are done.