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Chocolate chocolate chunk muffins

Boy, do I love a deal. It makes me happy when I use a coupon or a gift card and end up paying a fraction of the retail price of something. One of my online cooking friends posted an Amazon deal that was too good to pass up. Two of Dorie Greenspan's cookbooks, Baking: From My Home to Yours and Around My French Table were being sold as a bundle for $5. Total. I couldn't believe it! The retail price for each book was $40, and I was getting both for $5?? Sounded almost like a scam, but it wasn't. I placed my order immediately and the books arrived within the week.

I can't tell you how many hours I've spent looking through these cookbooks. There is always a new recipe I want to try, and I am sad that I missed out on the Tuesdays with Dorie online cooking club.  I know that there is a new group going on that is focusing on Around My French Table, but I'm more interested in the baking recipes. Obviously.

This is the first of many recipes that I hope to make from Dorie. I chose these chocolate chocolate chunk muffins because 1) I love chocolate, 2) I love chocolate, and 3) I had leftover buttermilk.  As Dorie states in her book, these muffins are only slightly sweet and could be considered either muffins or cupcakes.  I'd like to call them muffins so I can eat them for breakfast! These muffins got an enthusiastic thumbs up from my husband!

Ingredients
  • 3/4 stick (6 Tablespoons) unsalted butter
  • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used Lindt 70% dark chocolate)
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2/3 cups sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (I used Hershey's Dark)
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/4 cups buttermilk (I only had 3/4 cup so I used 2% milk for the remainder)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter or spray a regular-sized muffin pan or insert with paper liners. I decided to use an ungreased silicone muffin pan.  Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet..

Melt the butter and HALF of the chopped chocolate together in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Or, you can do this in the microwave (which I did - I zapped for 30 seconds). Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and vanilla together until well combined. Pour the liquid ingredients and melted butter/chocolate mixture over the dry ingredients, and with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don't worry about being thorough - a few lumps are better than overmixing the batter. Stir in the remaining chopped chocolate. Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

Yield: 12 muffins

Source: Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan; page 19
Boy, do I love a deal. It makes me happy when I use a coupon or a gift card and end up paying a fraction of the retail price of something. One of my online cooking friends posted an Amazon deal that was too good to pass up. Two of Dorie Greenspan's cookbooks, Baking: From My Home to Yours and Around My French Table were being sold as a bundle for $5. Total. I couldn't believe it! The retail price for each book was $40, and I was getting both for $5?? Sounded almost like a scam, but it wasn't. I placed my order immediately and the books arrived within the week.

I can't tell you how many hours I've spent looking through these cookbooks. There is always a new recipe I want to try, and I am sad that I missed out on the Tuesdays with Dorie online cooking club.  I know that there is a new group going on that is focusing on Around My French Table, but I'm more interested in the baking recipes. Obviously.

This is the first of many recipes that I hope to make from Dorie. I chose these chocolate chocolate chunk muffins because 1) I love chocolate, 2) I love chocolate, and 3) I had leftover buttermilk.  As Dorie states in her book, these muffins are only slightly sweet and could be considered either muffins or cupcakes.  I'd like to call them muffins so I can eat them for breakfast! These muffins got an enthusiastic thumbs up from my husband!

Ingredients
  • 3/4 stick (6 Tablespoons) unsalted butter
  • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used Lindt 70% dark chocolate)
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2/3 cups sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (I used Hershey's Dark)
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/4 cups buttermilk (I only had 3/4 cup so I used 2% milk for the remainder)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter or spray a regular-sized muffin pan or insert with paper liners. I decided to use an ungreased silicone muffin pan.  Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet..

Melt the butter and HALF of the chopped chocolate together in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Or, you can do this in the microwave (which I did - I zapped for 30 seconds). Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and vanilla together until well combined. Pour the liquid ingredients and melted butter/chocolate mixture over the dry ingredients, and with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don't worry about being thorough - a few lumps are better than overmixing the batter. Stir in the remaining chopped chocolate. Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

Yield: 12 muffins

Source: Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan; page 19

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