Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Muffins

I'm on a muffin kick these days.

They're just so fantastically easy and convenient. And the fact that you can say you're snacking on a muffin instead of a cupcake makes you feel a little healthier too...

You can make regular or mini muffins with this recipe. I chose mini - more to go around!

Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Muffins
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup sour cream
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or mini chips, if preferred)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350º F.
2. Grease a muffin tin (or mini muffin tin, if preferred).
3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a separate medium bowl, combine the egg, sour cream, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined (be careful not to overdo it).
6. Fill each muffin spot 3/4 full with batter (you will need a spoon; it's a little thick for muffin batter).
8. Bake for 14-18 minutes for regular muffins and 11-12 minutes for mini muffins, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Pumpkin Muffins

Made these for Christmas morning. Strangely, I adore pumpkin bread but hate anything else pumpkin (including the pie). These muffins were enjoyed by pumpkin lovers and haters alike, though! Delicious and easy breakfast recipe!

Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups granulated sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon ginger

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease muffin tins of your choice.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, eggs, oil, water, and sugar until they're well-blended.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.
4. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until blended (don't over-mix).
5. Put two heaping spoonfuls of batter into each muffin cup.
6. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the top of a muffin comes out relatively clean.

Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 weeks.

Yield: About 30 muffins

Baked Brownies

Tried out this recipe yesterday. The family says it's a keeper. I thought it had an interesting taste, while still retaining that classic brownie flavor. The only tricky part of the recipe was improvising a double boiler. The recipe doesn't specifically state that you need one, but I think it would be way easier that way.

Baked Brownies
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
11 oz. dark chocolate chips
1 cup (8 oz.) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
5 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease the sides and bottom of a 9x13" baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and cocoa powder together.
3. Put the chocolate, butter, and instant espresso powder in a medium-sized saucepan or heat-proof bowl and set it over a larger saucepan of boiling water (or use a double boiler), stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined (although, you may be able to see little granules - this is okay), then remove the bowl from the saucepan below. The mixture should be room temperature. If not, let it cool to room temperature, making sure to stir occasionally.
4. Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be really cakey.
5. Pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture until they are combined.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it.

Store at room temperature in an airtight container or wrap with plastic wrap for up to 3 days.

Yield: About 24 brownies

Thanksgiving