Chocolate Chip Muffins

I love muffins. I love them even more than cupcakes. Cupcakes are nice, but they don't stay with you as long as a muffin does. Muffins are heavier and when you eat one, you feel satisfied. A muffin is a meal that feels and tastes like a real treat.

I saw a joke poster the other day that said that once you lick the frosting off a cupcake that turns it into a muffin . . . so that made it a healthy option. I beg to differ on several fronts. A cupcake can never be a muffin . . . muffins aren't cake. And a muffin can't be a cupcake, not if it's a true muffin that is . . . they are two completely different animals. Mind you . . . that is only my opinion.

They also differ greatly when it comes down to mixing them up. Cupcake batter is mixed like cake batter . . . you cream the fats and sugars together first until light and then you beat in the egg (s) . . . adding the dry and wet ingredient alternately and normally mixing to a smooth batter before putting it into the tin (s).

In making a muffin generally you mix together all the dry ingredients in one bowl, all the wet in a measure and then you add the wet to the fry and mix just to combine. Lumps are ok and in face an overmixed muffin is tough. The best muffins come from a batter that's only been lightly used and mixed together. They tend to have a much heavier texture than a cake and taste wonderful served warm and with some butter or even jam, depending on the flavour of muffin. Corn muffins served hot with butter AND jam are a marriage made in heaven . . .

I used to own my own coffee shop and I baked and sold tons of muffins each day. The favourite was the carrot muffins, with the banana ones following closely at their heels. The third place was a toss up between blueberry muffins and these delicious chocolate chip muffins. Of course that could vary as well . . . with taste. Some people would crawl through fire to get a good chocolate chip muffin.

I am one of those.

A Chocolate Chip muffin lover. These are te best. I add chopped walnuts to mine and sometimes I even add sultanas . . . but then again I have been known to add those to my chocolate chip cookies too. It's a matter of taste, but if you are looking for a great basic chocolate chip muffin that is moist, and stogged to the hilt with chocolate chips, look no further. These chocolate chip muffins are quite simply the best.

In my opinion.

*Chocolate Chip Muffins*

Makes 12 large

We

love these muffins in this house. A beautifully dense and buttery

muffin just filled to the brim with delicious bits of milk chocolate. Try

to use the best chocolate you can afford to buy. These are incredibly moreish, just so you know. Also, when I say large I do NOT mean texas sized, but the next size down.

Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Generously grease 12 large muffin cups, or line with paper liners. Set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Whisk in the sugars, until the mixture is well blended.

In another bowl, stir together the milk, eggs, butter and vanilla. Blend together well.

Make

a well in the dry ingredients and then add the milk mixture all at

once. Stir together just to combine. It doesn't matter if the batter

it lumpy. All you want is the dry ingredients to be moistened. Fold in

the chocolate pieces and the nuts, if using. Spoon batter into the

prepared muffin cups, filling them 2/3 full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes,

until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre of one comes

out clean. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before

removing the muffins from the tin to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Serve warm.

These also freeze very well. To re-heat from frozen

just pop the frozen muffin into the microwave on a piece of paper

toweling and zap it for about 30 seconds.