Muffin's Take 2 (Chocolate Chocolate Chip Almond)

Hi! It's been awhile. I'm sure you've been busy, I certainly have. Haven't really whipped up anything new recently (or anything tasty enough to post... heh...) BUT I was inspired last night to take a second stab at muffins. Found a great recipe on Cooking Light for some chocolate chip chocolate muffins and on my first attempt, I made a funny mistake - I forgot to add the cocoa powder... whoops! They look tasty though? The recipe is located here.

Sooooo I really wanted to chocolate ones but ran out of ingredients from the first batch and had to improvise. These suckers aren't as healthy for you but are really tasty so I guess that balances it out (right?)

One little tip - I ran out of muffin liners so parchment paper works super well, it's not as pretty but in a pinch it worked.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Almond Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I always use this stuff. Love it!)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 stick of butter - melted
• 2/3 cup warm water (add a bit more if too dry)
• 1 container of plain greek yogurt (5.3 oz or 6 oz one would work too)
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• sprinkle of sugar (optional)
• Cooking spray

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 400degrees F.
2. Mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and soda, salt and sugar together so it's well incorporated.
3. Add in butter, water, yogurt, almond extract, egg and mix together until there are no dry bits. The mixture should be light and fluffy. Try not to over mix.
4. Add in the chocolate chips with a few mixes. Prep your muffin tin with the muffin liners, and spray with cooking spray to ensure its easy to get the muffin out.
5. Pour in your mixture evenly between the tins and top with a few extra chocolate chips and a sprinkle of sugar.
6. Bake for 15 minutes and check with a toothpick to ensure it's not wet in the middle. If so, pop them back in for another few minutes until the toothpick comes out dry.
7. Enjoy!

Eggless Apple Oatmeal Muffins and Eggless Chocolate Chip Muffins

Happy New Year Folks! I know I haven't blogged that much over the past few weeks but honestly, I didn't really do that much cooking (or least cook anything noteworthy or new.) Now that we're back in the swing of a normal schedule, I got the baking itch last night and attempted a few recipes for muffins. I'm on the hunt for a tasty and not-too-bad-for-you morning muffin. These two are a good start - Eggless Apple Oatmeal Muffins and Eggless Chocolate Chip Muffins.

The Apple muffins aren't the prettiest muffins in the world but they do do the trick and fill you up! Like my "Batter Finger" scraper in the background! Hee hee.

These recipes are eggless since I was bringing them to work and someone in my office doesn't eat eggs, BUT you can sub in eggs! I'll note in the ingredients where you can swap in an egg if you prefer.

Sweet muffin cups eh? Pirate Flags!

EGGLESS APPLE OATMEAL MUFFINS
Adapted from Kathy Can Cook's Chai-Spiced Muffins
Makes 20 - 24 muffins (you can half the recipe as well - I was bringing them to work so I made double)

Ingredients:
3 medium sized apples (I usually bake with Cortlands but I used Fuji in this and they tasted fine), skinned and chopped into 1/4 inch sized bites
2 cups flour - whole wheat is preferable
1 cup rolled oats (not the quick cooking kind)
2/3 cup oil - canola or vegetable
1 tsp corn starch mixed with 1/4 cup water (or 1 egg)
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tablespoon honey (add more if you like it sweeter)
1/4 sugar and a little on the side to sprinkle on the top
2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup milk (add a little more if it's too dry)

Steps:
Preheat your oven to 350degrees
Prep your muffin tin with muffin cups - I used a medium sized tin which makes the allotted amount
Chop your apples!
In a bowl, mix together the wet ingredients (oil, milk, honey, vanilla, cornstarch mixture) and mix in the spices, baking soda, sugar, oats and flour. The consistency should be more thick than you normally make muffins with - these babies don't rise much.
Add in the apples. As the original recipe states - the dough should be mostly apples! - I had to use my hands to get an even mixture.
Plop the dough into the muffin cups - about 2/3rds of the way up in the cup. Sprinkle a little sugar on the top of each muffin for a little sweetness in the first bite :-)
Bake for around 20 minutes - check to see if they are done by using a toothpick down the middle of one of the muffins and if it comes out clean they are done!
Let them cool for about 5 minutes before serving. They are also very tasty cool - and in the morning.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

EGGLESS CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS
Recipe adapted from Mark Bittman Muffins, Infinite Ways Recipe
Makes 12 medium sized muffins

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter - softened
2 cups flour - whole wheat
3/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1/2 cup water (or 2 eggs)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
Cooking spray for the muffin tin
1/3 of a 12oz bag of chocolate chips (I wouldn't over do it otherwise it will mess with the consistency of the muffin)

Steps:
Preheat oven to 400degrees
Prep your muffin tin - but putting in the muffin cups and I also sprayed them to ensure the muffin comes out of the cup. Nobody likes a sticky muffin :-)
Cream the sugar and butter together
Add in the vanilla and mix again
Add in the baking powder and salt
In a separate bowl, mix together the milk and cornstarch/water together. (If you're using eggs, feel free to add them directly into the bowl with the butter and sugar.) Mix into butter and sugar bowl. DO NOT OVER MIX! Once you add the cornstarch mixture, there will be a little foaming, mix this a bit but the foaming (I think) added to the fluffyness of the muffin so you don't want to loose that.
Add in the flour and mix maybe 12 times so it's incorporated but do not over mix.
Add in the chocolate chips so they are incorporated as well - maybe 4 mixes.
Fill the cups evenly and top with a little sprinkle of sugar to give a little extra sweetness!
Baked for 20-25 minutes - check around 20 minutes with a toothpick down the middle of one of the muffins, if it comes out clean they are done!
Let them cool for around 5 minutes before indulging.

YAY! Happy Eating!