Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
When I was a kid, I thought only girls drank milk.
This belief was almost certainly born from our dinnertime ritual: my mom would ask my sisters and I what we wanted to drink as we sat down to dinner. As we came to the table and sat in a row on the homemade wood (railway-tie, in fact) benches, she would say, “milk or water?” and usually we’d say milk, because it was more interesting than water, if not by much. My dad didn’t like milk. So most nights the four of us (two sisters, my mom and I) would drink milk while my dad had water.
And then one night my uncle came to visit from the west coast, and he asked for milk with his dinner. It was so weird, this dude sitting at the dinner table, drinking a glass of milk like it was the most normal thing ever.
I bought a jug of particularly delicious organic 2% milk the other day – unconsciously spurred, I think, by that batch of browned butter blondies. And though I rarely drink milk by the glass, the pairing was irresistible. My fridge, which is making sounds that indicate it’s slowly dying, got incredibly cold in one spot, freezing my herbs and almost turning the milk into slurpee. Since then I have been fixated on anything that goes well with icy cold milk – a bowl of Corn Flakes in bed, cookies, oatmeal.
And then one day in line at the coffee shop, the two little boys in front of us loudly asked their mom if they could have chocolate chip muffins. And she said yes, and so W turned to me and asked if he could have one too, but the boys got the last ones. And so I promised to make a batch at home, excited at the prospect of making them with a chocolate batter that’s more chocolate than sweet – the perfect pairing with a glass of milk.
Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
Adapted from Amanda’s Cookin’
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup canola oil or butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chipsPreheat the oven to 375°F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, eggs and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and chocolate chips and stir just until well blended.
Fill paper-lined muffin cups and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until domed and springy to the touch.
Makes 1 dozen muffins.
March 06 2013 10:43 pm | cake and snacks
Avery on 06 Mar 2013 at 11:02 pm #
Nom nom nom!
Amanda on 07 Mar 2013 at 5:19 am #
They look wonderful Julie, thanks so much! So glad you liked them, these were my daughter’s favorite. And love the milk story!
Lana on 07 Mar 2013 at 8:53 am #
There are certainly things that MUST be enjoyed with milk: warm cookies, grilled cheese, chocolate cake or muffins, and toast with peanut butter to name a few! These muffins look gorgeous- as did that blondie…YUM.
Kate on 07 Mar 2013 at 8:48 pm #
Wow! and Really?
I am almost ready for sleep. Teeth are even brushed…..and now I have to grab at least a handful of chocolate chips after seeing these!
These look delicious.
Meta4 on 08 Mar 2013 at 12:06 pm #
Hello Julie, I would love for you to post the recipe for the chocolate chip cookies you brought to the “Make lots of soups” for the Soup sisters last year.
You had made the dough at home and just baked them at the kitchen place.They were to die for and goes perfectly with cold milk.
Thanks…
Julie on 08 Mar 2013 at 3:25 pm #
Meta4 – I’m sure it was this one – http://dinnerwithjulie.com/2011/09/23/half-pound-dark-chocolate-chunk-cookies/ – and since reading your comment I’ve gone downstairs and mixed up a batch…. the power of suggestion is strong with me!
Meta4 on 08 Mar 2013 at 6:38 pm #
I had planned a movie night tonight, now it will be a “baking night”. Thanks…
Barb on 09 Mar 2013 at 8:34 am #
These look bakesale worthy. I think they will be my contribution. (less one!)
Doréus on 09 Mar 2013 at 2:15 pm #
Yummy. We were out of desserts yesterday for dinner and I quickly whipped together a batch of those to throw in the oven while the pasta were cooking. Delicious. My partner is starting to seriously like your recipes, even though they seem to contribute to his motivation to hit the gym.
Quick question: why did you call these muffins rather than cupcakes? Would it be a simple matter of frosting them to make them into cupcakes? These are remarkable on their own, but I can imagine that a swirl of buttercream / cream cheese frosting would just make them that much more decadent (and then, I would also have to hit the gym).
Laur on 09 Mar 2013 at 3:32 pm #
I have to make these right NOW. Going to try half whole wheat flour, maybe a little flax seed and coconut oil. I’ll let you know…!
Julie on 09 Mar 2013 at 5:17 pm #
Doréus – good question! In fact I meant to address that very point – and I did so in my head, but managed to not relay it here. Yes, essentially they are cupcakes – there really isn’t much difference between the two, except for sugar content – cupcakes typically have a higher sugar:flour ratio. But then again some cupcakes are lower in sugar, and some muffins are higher, so there you go! Also, most cupcakes are made by beating butter, sugar and egg, then adding dry ingredients, often alternately with milk or a liquid. Muffins are more often made using the “quickbread method”, which entails mixing dry and wet ingredients separately, then combining the two. But I think it really comes down to six of one, half a dozen of the other…
Doréus on 10 Mar 2013 at 12:05 am #
Many thanks, Julie! My question came from the fact that in my head, muffins are more like “bread” while cupcakes like miniature “cakes”, but indeed, the line can be blurry. And since I’m more a specialist of savoury food than pastry, I was wondering if there was something I was missing.
Mikey F. on 10 Mar 2013 at 6:43 am #
I’m SO making these next week. It seems the perfect recipe for my choco-obsession! LOL
Lovely.
nothing on 11 Mar 2013 at 5:06 pm #
YOU DONT HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Noelle on 12 Mar 2013 at 7:56 pm #
Already made these twice in three days for my teenage boys!!!
Lindsay on 13 Mar 2013 at 12:18 am #
This is not the blog to read before bed. And oh my goodness, cornflakes with milk is pretty much the BEST THING EVER- the Compliments brand mind you, not even the Corn Flakes corn flakes (particularly with a banana!). Ugh. Stomach grumbles…
the other Al on 15 Mar 2013 at 9:10 am #
ok girl, how in the world do you make muffins without dripping (and burning into impossible to remove concrete)
all over the edges of the cups. I have NEVER been able to get the batter into the cups without spliling over the edges. My muffin pans don’t even come close to the beauty of yours!
Jade on 05 Apr 2013 at 6:53 pm #
I just made a batch of these and they look amazing….can hardly wait to let them cool down to sink my teeth into them. My Fiance is your new best friend LOL
Audra on 27 Apr 2013 at 9:26 pm #
Made these tonight. Just about died! They are soooooo good!! Thanks
Hajra on 13 May 2013 at 11:01 am #
Hi i was just wondering what flour to use.. Self-raising or plain flour? Thanks