Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

In anticipation of Valentine’s Day, I will be featuring a few chocolate recipes this week.   Of course a little breakfast chocolate is the perfect way to start off any week.  These muffins are more than just a little breakfast chocolate though.  They are chocolate on chocolate.  A chocolate muffin studded with chocolate chips topped with chocolate chips.  What could be better?  Well, they come in under 200 calories and are low fat – a true breakfast treat! 

The original recipe uses red wine vinegar and water, which I thought was intriguing.  Red wine vinegar in baked goods?  I had to try it!  I did, and it was good.  BUT…I have since revised the recipe to replace the vinegar/water with buttermilk.  Nothing compares to the flavor and texture that buttermilk gives to baked goods, and in these muffins that is no exception.  I also replaced some of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat in order to bump up the nutrition level a bit.

For a little variety, it is fun to change up the chips with different flavors (peanut butter chips anyone?) but I always find myself coming back to the mini chocolate chips.  Mini chips give the illusion of more chocolate per bite since there are more bits throughout.  A little more for less kind of thing. 

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Muffins
Yields 12 muffins

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners (or spray muffin tin with cooking spray).
2. In a large bowl, mix flours, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, vanilla and egg.  Stir in 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
4. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, gently folding until just combined.
5. Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups.  Sprinkle tops with remaning 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in pan for 5 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from Cooking Light