Mocha Chocolate Chip Muffins

This morning I was craving coffee and something chocolaty. A quick search on Tastespotting and I found these Mocha Muffins with Chocolate Chips posted at The Food Librarian. Bingo!

These were quick to throw together and helped satisfy my longing to bake. I thought these muffins were pretty good, not great, but good. I followed the original recipe from Bon Appetit, omitting the pecans because I didn't have any in the house, and found the flavor a bit lacking. Overall there was obviously a hint of something other than chocolate, but the coffee flavor wasn't pronounced enough for me to really consider these mocha muffins. The chocolate chips in the muffins were, however, plenty to satisfy my chocolate craving. I used a mix of bittersweet and semisweet chocolate chips and really loved the slightly bitter dark chocolate flavor.

Overall I'd say I enjoyed these muffins, but I definitely wouldn't make them again without upping the espresso powder, increasing the cocoa powder, or adding in the pecans or something else to give a bit more depth of flavor.

Mocha Chocolate Chip Muffins
from Bon Appetit via The Food Librarian

1/4 cup hot water
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed golden brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips (I used 1 cup bittersweet and 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips)
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (about 4 ounces), toasted (I left these out)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line twelve 1/2-cup muffin cups with paper liners. Stir 1/4 cup hot water and espresso powder in medium bowl until espresso powder dissolves. Add buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla and whisk until well blended. 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.

Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups. Bake until tester inserted into center of muffins comes out clean, about 25 minutes (Mine were done after 20 minutes). Transfer muffins to rack and cool.

Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes

The fresh raspberry and lemon flavor of these cupcakes was absolutely to die for! I made these for the hubby to take to a potluck at work yesterday and I thought they were divine. The lemon cupcake was perfectly light in texture with just a hint of refreshing lemon flavor. The raspberry buttercream was sweet and delicious with the most beautiful natural pale pink color.

The cupcakes baked up to a beautiful pale golden dome--I finally a homemade cake recipe that bakes up beautifully! Oddly though, I noticed near the end of their baking time, the cupcakes sort of shrank up a bit. They shortened in height and pulled away from the cupcake liners. I've never had this happen before and I'm not sure why it did. I've never made a true white cake recipe before, so I wondered if that had something to do with the shrinkage. Despite shrinking up a bit, they still looked lovely and I plan to try making these again as soon as possible because they were absolutely delicious!

The recipe comes from My Baking Addiction who adapted the cupcake from Dorie Greenspan's Perfect Party Cake (and now I'm dying to get my hands on her book Baking: From My Home to Yours). My Baking Addiction also uses the cupcake base and pairs it with a lemon cream cheese frosting in her Lemon Cupcakes, which sounds like a heavenly combination since the hubby and I are both crazy about cream cheese frostings. I'm thinking about making halving the recipe and making some mini Lemon Cupcakes this weekend.

These cupcakes have such a refreshing quality, making them perfect for summer! The cake is so light and tender in texture. I think these would be the perfect dessert for casual summer entertaining.

Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes recipe from My Baking Addiction.

Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies

I realize I sure have been posting a lot of Oreo/cookies & cream recipes lately. Ever since I made those delicious Cookies & Cream Cupcakes I've been baking with Oreo cookies nonstop. Can you really blame me?

I made these Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies to take to a close friend who is, unfortunately, in the hospital undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia. I got together yesterday evening with some friends and we picked out a card and some "trashy magazines" to take to her to help pass the time. Our friend is so vibrant and social and I can't even imagine how difficult this time in the hospital is going to be for her. We plan to continually spoil her with visits, baked goods and lots of magazines to read and movies to watch. I hope, in some small way, all the little gestures help her get through this time.

Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes ~2 dozen
adapted from Picky Palate via Lovin' From the Oven

1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cubed
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
8 Oreo cookies, chopped
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and sugars until well combined. Add egg and vanilla extract, mixing until combined.

Place flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; whisk to combine. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, then stir in the chopped Oreo cookies and chocolate chips until just combined.

With a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, portion the cookies and space them at least 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until cooked, but still soft in the centers. Let cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.