CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT MUFFINS!
We haven't baked all week, which is highly unusual. Today, though, I mustered up scrapings of motivation to bring you this special flavor so that you can perfect it before your holiday season is in full swing! It's a favorite for my chocolate-loving husband and daughter, and it will make a great  treat for whoever you bake for in December! I enjoyed baking today, because it wasn't a pumpkin apple muffin, and it took thought to execute.

 

Remember to premeasure your wet ingredients first, so that they have time to reach room temperature. Also, premeasure and coat your mint candies in flour in a seperate bowl.

 This is one of my favorite egg mixtures, because it is so smooth!Again, I melt the butter right before I'm ready to add it to the wet mixture. It helps the butter stay smooth, rather than reforming into cold butter chunks.

Working with cocoa powder is interesting. It's so light and flighty that mixing it with smooth wet mixtures takes a bit more time. And I always have some on my apron or on the table. LOL! When combined, the batter will be thick, almost like brownies.

When the mixture is nearly combined, add your creme de menthe baking candies (pre-chopped mint chocolates) or mint chocolate kisses.

This recipe rises amazingly high compared to others, so filling your cups 2/3 full will give you a nice size muffin top.

Your muffins should come out with a cracked top, like these. You won't be able to judge 'doneness' with a toothpick, because of the cocoa powder. Take the muffins out of the oven when the tops present with somewhat of a firmness.

See the muffin tops on this batch? I filled them a little higher than 2/3 full. BEAUTIFUL!

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT MUFFINS

1 3/4 c flour

1/3 C cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 C oil

3 T butter, melted

3/4 C sour cream

3/4 C sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp mint extract

1 C creme de menthe baking chunks (or chop your own Andes mint candies)

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.  Combine oil, sour cream, sugar, eggs, mint extract, and melted butter in a separate small bowl. Coat mint candies in a bit of flour and add to mixture. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full (or more). Bake for 18-20 minutesw (25 minutes for jumbo muffins). Muffins are done when they are well-risen and firm to a gentle touch. Let stand in pan for 5 minutes. Cool on a rack.

ENJOY! And let me know how you liked them!



PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE MUFFINS

 This creation is probably my favorite to bake, simply because the batter is smooth and the outcome is so beautiful! Look at those muffin tops, how they peak and crust to a perfect brown in random spots. And they are SO dense, which is appropriate for the flavor! PB Chocolate, as I have labeled it in my recipe book, is my 3rd best recipe, not because it is in high demand (nut allergies have prevented that) but because I believe it is right up there with the Pumpkin Apple and Raspberry Chocolate, as far as quality is concerned!

Ready to go? Let's make muffins!

My favorite and most useful tip for this recipe is to lightly coat your measuring cup with oil (I used the spatula to spread a very thin layer of oil) before scooping peanut butter into it. Cleaning PB is my least favorite part of the process, and this step eliminates a lot of that! 

Allow your milk and lightly beaten eggs to reach room tempurature. Mix your dry ingredients, and pre-measure the chocolate chips, coating them in some flour mixture (it really does keep the chips from sinking to the bottom!).

Random photo insert: our daughter, doing schoolwork on her own. I said that I wouldn't post any face shots of her on random sites, but this was too difficult to pass up... While I toiled over the batch of muffins that had to get done before we began schoolwork today, she sneaked a peek at her book, took a pencil, and completed the alphabet maze without me. Then, single-handedly (lol), she finished the entire book of tracing uppercase and lowercase letters and successfully identified which objects began with those letters. I was SO proud of my preschooler for doing pre-K work on her own initiative.

Back to baking: I prefer to melt my butter at the last moment, right before I add it to my room-temperature wet ingredients. Recipe books have suggested letting the melted butter cool before adding it. I've found that this makes my butter clump, preventing it from thoroughly spreading throughout the batter. You will find what works best for you.

For my 'beginner' bakers, here is a series of photos, showing the progression of peanut butter and warm butter being blended...

Remember to add the chocolate chips BEFORE the batter is completely combined. LESS (mixing) is MORE (moist).

Every recipe differs in how it rises, based on whether baking soda or powder is used, how much is used, and other such factors. This recipe in particular rises very well, so I have no problem getting a decent dome top when I only fill 2/3 full or so. To add a great finish, throw a few random chocolate chips on the tops before placing in the oven.

Pardon me while I INDULGE in some personal photos! When your child shows such great interest in schoolwork and makes an effort such as mine did, you can't help but bring out the huge rewards!
Gelato for everyone while the muffins are in the oven: Double Dark Chocolate and Meditteranean Mint for my two chocolate fiends, and Carribbean Coconut for me!  Darn, I knew I should have bought the raspberry gelato. What better combination than mild (coconut) and tart (raspberry)??

And eating directly from the container is the ONLY way to eat frozen dessert in our house!

HERE ARE MY BEAUTIFUL GEMS OF A MUFFIN! SIMPLY GORGEOUS!

Now, follow the recipe below, and share your thoughts with us!

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE MUFFINS

2 1/4 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 C brown sugar
6 T butter, melted
1/2 C peanut butter
2 large eggs
1 C milk
3/4 C chocolate chips*

* milk chocolate is the best match, but semi-sweet works also!

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 375F. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar.  In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, peanut butter, eggs, and milk until smooth.  Pour into flour mixture and stir until JUST combined. Stir in chocolate chips.  Batter will be thick.  Fill paper-lined muffin pans 2/3 in each cup.  Bake for 20 minutes (about 25 for jumbo muffins) or until toothpick comes out clean and mfufin top springs back when lightly pressed.  Let sit 3-5 minutes in pan. Cool muffins on a wire rack. 

Orange Chocolate (this is for you, Julie O!)

The orange chocolate muffin is not for everyone. Even I, the self-proclaimed muffin maniac, do not crave more than a bite or two of this powerfully vibrant flavor, but there exists a select number who appreciate the marriage of tangy citrus and sweet, smooth chocolate.

While my sister visits us this week, she has asked me to be a guest on her blog, and I, in turn, have asked her to help me bake muffins. We chose the orange chocolate recipe, because I have long needed to experiment with it in order to improve it's shelf-life. Besides, my sister's husband is one of those people who delights in orange flavor melded with chocolate. In exchange for my newly revamped recipe, I think I'll have her cook dinner all week! Ha ha!

Here is the complimentary recipe. My only requirement is that you let us know how you enjoyed them! And if I tweak it further with success, I will be sure to inform you!

ORANGE CHOCOLATE MUFFINS

Ingredients
2 C flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C sugar
1 C milk
1/4 C butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp orange extract
2/3 C chocolate chips
orange peel from 1-2 oranges


Directions
Preheat oven to 375F. Combine milk, eggs, vanilla, and orange extract. Set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Make a well in center. Melt butter in a small bowl and add to wet mixture. Pour dry ingredients into wet mixture and combine until JUST moistened. Fold in chocolate chips and orange peel (do not overmix). Fill cups 2/3 full*. Bake 15-20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on rack.

* Note: for flatter tops, fill muffin cups half full. For dome-shaped tops, fill cups 3/4 full (only 5 muffin cups) and check them at 20 minutes. If toothpick comes out like batter still, check again in 5 minute increments. :o)