Chocolate Chip Muffins

These chocolate chip muffins are so easy to make, and the resulting crumb is so moist and tender. I know that sounds cliche, but I'm serious! This may be my new favorite muffin, with or without the chocolate chips.

These can be mixed and baked in about an hour, making them the perfect "I feel like something freshly baked" treat, or for baking with kids (or adults with a short attention span). The only way you can mess them up is to use expired baking powder or to over mix them. "Why?" you ask. Too much mixing will over develop the gluten and toughen the dough. This is a good thing with bread... not so much with a tender quick bread.

You can customize the recipe by eliminating the chocolate chips and vanilla, and adding your favorite ingredients such as berries, dried fruits, and spices.

These muffins are easy to make ahead. Just wrap them individually and freeze them after they have cooled. When you are ready to serve them, remove them from the freezer and bring them to room temperature while still wrapped. If you want melty chocolate chips, give them a 20 second turn in the microwave.

After the recipe, check out what the rest of the #MuffinMonday bakers created this month.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Adapted from Nick Malgieri's amazing book Bake! Essential Techniques for Perfect Baking

Ingredients

2 cups (9 ounces) all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 large egg

1 cup milk

2 tsp vanilla

6 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons sparkling sugar (or granulated sugar)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a 12 cavity muffin tin with paper liners. 
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. 
3. In a large bowl, add the melted butter. Whisk in the egg, the milk, and the vanilla. 
4. Whisk 1/3 of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until full incorporated. Whisk in the second third of the flour mixture. Fold the final third of the flour ingredients with a rubber spatula. 
5. Fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Scoop the batter into the muffin pan, evenly distributing it among the 12 cavities. 
7. Sprinkle the top of each unbaked muffin with the sparkling sugar. 
8. Bake on the center rack for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Do not over bake. 
9. Cool completely in the muffin tin on a rack. 

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board.

Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday, can be found on our home page.

• Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Chocolate Chip Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Cinnamon Pear Muffins from Making Miracles
• Coconut Lime Mango Muffins from The Spiced Life
• Glazed Orange Poppyseed Muffins from Farm Fresh Feasts
• Gouda Herb Muffins from Food Lust People Love
• Nutmeg Banana Muffins from Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Orange Muffins from Passion Kneaded