Put Some Coffee in Your Muffins!

Favorite moments this week...

1) Jumping on the bed with Matthew and Paul last night. Paul and I would have Matthew sit in the middle of the mattress and then one of us would jump on the bed so he would go flying into the air. He loved it! This fun little activity also had the added bonus of completely tiring Matthew out so he woke up a little later than usual the following morning.

2) Going to Mass with Matthew and watching him perform the Sign of the Cross with the rest of the congregation at both the beginning and end of Mass. He also turned around and waved at everyone he could during the Sign of Peace (right after giving his Mommy a big kiss!).

3) Sweeping out the garage, vacuuming the cars, and washing cobwebs away with Paul while Matthew took a nap on Sunday. The sun was shining and we had a lot of fun goofing around while simultaneously performing some of our least favorite (but extremely necessary) housekeeping duties. I hope we did not annoy our neighbors too much with our hysterical laughter.

4) Throwing Matthew into the giant leaf piles at the park. His laughter is so addictive!

5) Cheering for Texas in the World Series. After that embarrassing 16-7 loss to the Cards in Game 3, they have played some great ball to lead the series 3-2. I can't wait for Game 6 tonight!

6) Finding and enjoying this little gem. Paul and I had really good laugh over this one. In case you didn't know...we are geeks.

7) Making (and eating!) these delicious muffins. I have never been a big muffin fan - but these combined my love of coffee and chocolate into one of the most delicious snacks I have ever had! They are perfect as a morning treat with a steaming hot cup of coffee. If you're a coffee lover - give these a go!

Coffee-Break Muffins

adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours

2 c. all-purpose flour

1/3 c. sugar

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder (no substitutes)*

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 - 3/4 cup chocolate chips, roughly chopped (optional - but I highly recommend!)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Whisk the flour, sugar, espresso powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the brown sugar, breaking it up with your fingers to ensure that there are no lumps. Whisk to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk the coffee, eggs, and melted butter. Add to the dry ingredients and stir just to combine. Gently fold in the chocolate.

Divide evenly among the muffin liners. Pop it in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until a small, thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean (well - at least clean of batter...some melted chocolate might get on there!). Let pan cool 5 minutes on a wire rack before carefully removing the individual muffins.

I found that these tasted even better after resting overnight!

Variations: If you want to make a white chocolate mocha-like muffin, add white chocolate chips! Make them plain and drizzle and, while they're still warm, poke holes and drizzle with caramel sauce for a Caramel Macchiato!

*This is so worth the small investment. I use it all the time in chocolate recipes. For example, try adding a tablespoon or two to your favorite brownie recipe to really kick up the chocolate taste!