If variety is the spice of life, then these Chocolaty Chip Muffins could be called Spice of Life Muffins. The rich chocolaty dough pairs well with a variety of flavors, so I made them with 5 different kinds of chips. Semi-sweet chocolate chips. Cinnamon chips. Peanut butter chips. Butterscotch chips. Mint chips. Bake one type or a variety.
I have mentioned before that I have a sprinkle cabinet in my kitchen and, though I embrace my multitude of sprinkles as a collection, my husband sees it more as a hoard. Obviously, it is a matter of perspective. I think baking bloggers need sprinkles. Sprinkles can be viewed as business tools. Baking bloggers also need chips. I have a collection of those too. In their own cabinet. More business tools.
Originally, these were going to be chocolate-chocolate muffins, a small chocolaty quick bread, flecked with melted semi-sweet chocolate chips. But as I was reaching for the semi-sweet chips, I noticed that every chip in the cabinet sounded like a good combination with a chocolate muffin. Why limit yourself when variety is so easy? Chocolate chips on the inside and a combination of chips on the outside is the way to go for differently flavored muffins in just one batch.
I don’t bake too many muffins. Muffins often stay fresh for a very short time, making them not a good choice for care packages. Muffins are great for eating at home or for a local care package treat, but any further and the recipient eats stale muffins. I got a request for muffins that prompted me to do some muffin research and recipe experimentation. In the end, after a number of ingredient and method tweaks, I offer you the recipe for Chocolaty Chip Muffins. Though I was hoping for a longer shelf-life, I consider these muffins edible for a maximum of 5 days (after the first 2 delicious days, 10-15 seconds in the microwave brings out moisture and a fresher taste), which is long enough for the muffins to be travel worthy when mailed a short distance.
I learned a lot as I baked batch after batch of muffins. As far as baking definitions go, there are differences between muffins and cupcakes. A cupcake is basically a little cake. The batter for cupcakes, usually beaten with an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar, is often sweeter than muffin batter. A cupcake is usually iced or glazed, and is considered a dessert. Muffins fall under the quick bread category. They are sweet but not as sweet as cupcakes and though they are sometimes glazed, they are rarely frosted. Muffins are mixed gingerly by hand (no creaming involved) to achieve a light texture. Muffins have somehow been categorized as breakfast food. (As in, “I am having dessert for breakfast.”) The top of a cupcake should be flat. The top of a muffin should be domed.
These muffin baking tips were quite useful:
• To create a light, fluffy texture, mixing should be minimal. Follow the method directions in a muffin recipe carefully. In this recipe for Chocolaty Chip Muffins, the dry ingredients (including the chips) are whisked together in one bowl and the wet ingredients are whisked together in another bowl. The two are then mixed together with a gentle folding motion just until combined.
• The muffin pan should be sprayed thoroughly with baking spray. Don’t use a baking spray with flour because the flour will burn.
• Fill the muffin cups ¾ full to avoid overflow and promote domed tops.
• Don’t overdo it with the chips on top. Too many chips will flatten the top of the muffin.
• Bake at 400°F to promote a fast initial rise for those sought after domed tops.
• Check for doneness at the least amount of time and remove as soon as a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Do not let the muffins cool in the pan. Remove them onto a wire cooling rack as soon as possible. Left in the pan the muffins will continue to cook and may stick to the bottom.
Chocolate muffins with a generous amount of chocolate chips inside and out, might be pushing the definition of breakfast food. Or not. Whenever you eat them, Chocolaty Chip Muffins are sure to put a smile on your face.
Chocolaty Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ¾ cup chocolate chips or ½ cup chocolate chips plus ¼ cup flavored chips
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup sour cream or full fat plain yogurt
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup chocolate or flavored chips for decorating muffin tops
Directions
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Preheat oven to 400° F. Use non-stick spray to grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
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In a large bowl, combine flour, sugars, ¾ cup chocolate chips, cocoa, espresso powder, and baking soda.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together vanilla, egg, sour cream, milk, and oil.
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Pour the liquid mixture into the large bowl with the flour mixture.
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Stir/fold gently until barely combined and no dry mixture is visible.
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Use a large scoop to divide the batter into the 12 greased muffin cups. Each muffin cup should be about ¾ full.
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Press a few chips (chocolate plus any other flavor chip) onto the top of each muffin.
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Bake for 11-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Overbaking will cause a dry muffin, so start checking for doneness at 12 minutes.
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Remove the muffins from the pan as soon as possible and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
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Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. The muffins can be heated for 10-15 seconds in the microwave to freshen.
Packing Tips
Wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap. Place wrapped muffins in a large freezer weight ziplock bag or plastic storage container. Muffins with mint chips should not be mailed with other flavors. Mint tends to permeate everything in the package.
Bakers definitely need their chips. I get so mad when my husband eat them. I’m always trying to explain to him that he’s eating my work! I need those!
Love the idea of customizing your muffins. They might not make it in a long-distance care package, but locally they won’t last very long!
Thanks, Mir! It is wonderful to get affirmation of the essential nature of chips and sprinkles to our work! 😉 I just couldn’t make up my mind which chip and chocolate combo tasted the best. In the end, I opted to eat them all!
Wendy’s these look amazing, my family would love them! Love all the different flavored chips!
Thanks, Sheryl! Everyone loves chocolate and the variety of chips caters to individual tastes. 🙂
I feel like I would have a hard time deciding what other chips to put in these! They do all sound delicious with the chocolate! These would be fantastic to have in the house when we start having guests this holiday season!
Thanks, Ashley! These multi-chipped muffins are kind of like having a variety box of chocolates. Everyone can have their favorite. 🙂
I love some fun variety like this! I bet they are all good in their own way. I have a chocolate muffin recipe I’ve been making but they are fragile and wouldn’t ship well. These look sturdier but must also be so moist with the sour cream, oil, and milk in them. I always use liners when I make muffins…easier clean up and I think the liner helps hold in the moisture a little bit too.
Thanks, Monica! A muffin for every mood. 🙂 The original recipe was a good sturdy but moist muffin. I upped the moisture (for longer shelf life) with full fat sour cream and brown sugar. It works! I never thought about the liners keeping moisture in! I am going to try that and see what happens!
Thank you for sharing all the good muffin tips! I tends to overfill my muffin pans! I will keep in mind not to do that next time. 😛
I am loving these chocolaty muffins, especially with that colorful chips. I totally agree that we need to keep all kinds of chips and sprinkles at home. They are desserts’ best friends.
Thanks, Lokness! Those tips were learned the hard way. 🙂 This recipe took awhile to get right, leaving me a better muffin baker in the end! I hope!
I freaked out last week when I ran out of chocolate chips. But I need to make more muffins. These look delicious!
Thanks, Cathleen! Chocolate chips are a staple. Run out and…..who knows what can happen! 😉
Wow! Wendy!! I had been gone for a while, your new blog looks absolutely great! Congrats!!! These cupcakes, also look amazing, slurp!!!
Hi, Ada! I have missed your and your beautiful cookies! I hope you and your family are doing well. 🙂 Thank you for your kind words. I switched to self-hosted WordPress in March and, though I am happy with the direction the blog is going, I am still working on cleaning things up and trying to learn how to add all the extras. 🙂 Often, I am just banging my head on my desk!
You have me seriously craving chocolate now Wendy! I love that you made them with all those different flavored chips! I’ll take one of each please. They look wonderful!
Thanks, Reeni! Wanting one of each is EXACTLY why I made them with all of the different flavored chips!! 😉