veryone
needs a chocolate muffin recipe in their repertoire. As with all things
chocolate, these are delicious, and to give them a nice mocha flavor we are
adding some strongly brewed coffee. This makes them the perfect breakfast food
although because we add chocolate chips and nuts you can serve these any time of
the day. Muffins
are what we call a "quick" bread and you can see why when you make
this recipe. All you need are two bowls; one for the wet ingredients, and one
for the dry. Combine the two and your batter is made.
The fat in these muffins is in liquid form, and using oil instead of butter makes the muffins
wonderfully moist and tender
because oil prevents the development of gluten in the flour. I prefer the
flavor of safflower oil but you can also use canola oil if that is what you have
in your pantry. Buttermilk is also used here and If you are not
familiar with buttermilk it has a nice thick creamy texture with a rich tangy
buttery taste that makes baked goods tender. Whereas in the past buttermilk was
made from the liquid left over after churning butter, it is now commercially
made by adding a bacteria to whole, skim, or low fat milk. You can make your own
buttermilk though by adding 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar, cider
vinegar, or lemon juice to 1 cup (240 ml) of milk. Just stir the vinegar into
the milk and then let it stand 5 to 10 minutes before using. Lastly, it is hard
to tell when chocolate muffins are baked and we definitely do not want to
over bake them or they will be dry. So check them towards the end of baking
and they are done when they are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted
in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190
degrees C). Position rack in center of oven. Butter or
spray with a non stick cooking spray 12 - 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 inch muffin cups. Set aside.
In a large measuring cup
or bowl
whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, coffee, and vanilla extract.
In another large bowl
combine the flours, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and
salt. Stir in the chopped nuts and chocolate chips. With a
rubber spatula fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only
until the ingredients are combined. Do not over mix the batter or tough
muffins will result.
Evenly fill
the muffin cups with the batter, using two spoons or an ice
cream scoop. Place in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the
center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 - 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire
rack and let cool for about 5 minutes
before removing from pan.
Makes 12 regular
sized muffins or 6 jumbo muffins.
Source:
Fox, Margaret S. &
Bear, John B. 'Morning Food'. Ten Speed Press: Berkeley: 1990.
Mocha Muffins:
3 large
eggs
1 cup (240
ml) buttermilk
3/4 cup
(180 ml) safflower or canola oil
1/2 cup
(120 ml) strong black coffee, at room temperature
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