Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Mocha Muffins with Chocolate Chips

Baking is my stress reliever.  Some people do yoga, some people meditate, some people go to spas... I bake! I also love to cook - but baking brings me peace - it makes me relax.

I don't know if it's the mixing
If it's the fact that the muffins, cupcakes or cakes I bake will make people happy...

Or it's because I remember spending so many hours when I was a kid watching my mom bake.  I lost my mom when I was 18 and baking was one of the things I loved to do with her.  Probably makes me feel closer to my mom :)

I ran out of blueberries... so decided to bake something with chocolate for a change!! ;) foodlibrarian shared a great recipe for Mocha Muffins - and they are real good (just had one after my weigh-in at Weight Watchers!! Don't want to know how many points I just ate!!)

Muffins with Chocolate Chips and Pecans (my changes in red)
1/4 cup hot water

1 1/2 tablespoon instant espresso powder (I used 2)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar (used a couple of tablespoons less)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I used almost 2 cups)
The original recipe has 1 cup pecans but I skipped.

Preheat oven to 375°F (350F in my oven). Line muffin tin with liners. The recipe says it makes 12 muffins, but I got 15 muffins (I got 12 huge muffins). Dissolve espresso powder in the hot water.

Wet ingredients: Whisk together the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla in a medium bowl, then add the espresso mixture. Dry ingredients: Mix flour, sugar, brown sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add buttermilk mixture and stir just until combined. Mix in chocolate chips and pecans (if using). Do not overmix your muffin batter!

Pour into muffin pan. I use a scooper to dish out the batter. Bake until tester inserted into center of muffins comes out clean, about 20 minutes (recipe says 25 minutes but mine were done in 20 so check early!) Transfer muffins to rack and cool.
 
Guess who was looking at the muffins cooling on the bench... :)

14 comments:

Angela2932 said...

Yummm! Chocolate and coffee, and pecans! I don't think it could get any better than that! Beatiful portrait of the kitty; did he get any muffins?

Esther said...

I you made cookbook, I think I would buy it just to look at all the yummy photos! :) I like how your cats eyes match the plate right above him. Mmmmmmm!

Esther said...

Wow, I don't know how to type this morning! :) I meant to say....If you made a cookbook...lol.

The Food Librarian said...

Your muffins look great! And your cat looks like my late cat, Sam-I-Am. I like the perfect crown you got on your muffins...and who needs pecans? :) - mary the food librarian

Maria said...

I can so relate! For me it's the smell. I love the way the kitchen smells and how everyone is drawn to it, no matter how busy they are with their own activities.

I'm so sorry you lost your mom at 18 years old! That is so sad. I don't know that there's a good age to lose a parent, though. I miss mine still, and they've been gone for a long time. Those cupcakes look so good!

Anonymous said...

Yummy! What a lovely story about your mom baking. Scrumptious :)

Yolanda said...

Yummmmm! I think you should open up a baked goods shop.

Nicki said...

Delicious! My sister always comments that while we both can cook (decently as compared to our linage of phenomenal cooking mom and grandmoms) I am the "BAKER". I used to bake as therapy in my early 20s, and I too took the food in for the people I worked with so I wouldn't eat it. I hear ya, and I totally understand where you're coming from. Bake away, bake away!

Suzy said...

mmmm two of my favorite combinations - chocolate and mocha! I'm glad you love baking cuz I love your baking photos!

KRISTIE said...

you always have the yummist food, who all are you feeding? Can I get on the list?!?!?!

Taylor said...

Baking is definitely my stress reliever as well...your post reminded me of that and how I really need to set aside some time this weekend do bake something yummy! Your muffins look fantastic!

Danielle said...

ohhh yummmmm!

Memória said...

These muffins look fantastic. Baking relaxes me, too. . .until my oven burns my hard work haha.

Unknown said...

Your photos are fabulous! I featured this post this morning on our Redpath Sugar fanpage; feel free to share more recipes we love bloggers!

http://facebook.com/redpathsugar