Mocha Walnut Wonder Muffins

"Coffee makes it possible to get out of bed, but chocolate makes it worthwhile."

Today has been long...  I have a trying 2-yr old (almost 3) little man that has really been a wreck lately.  He is making us slightly crazy.  Of course this has nothing to do with the recipe I am sharing today, but it was a good excuse to bake something chocolaty!  I bought the "Morning Food" cookbook a few years back because we love breakfast food.  This cookbook has recipes for everything from muffins to eggs to breakfast cookies!  I have tried several recipes and have loved them all.  I love a good cup of coffee with something chocolaty and this recipe ties both flavors into one muffin.  The added health benefit is that half of the flour in this recipe is whole wheat.  I imagine you could even tweak the flour ratio and use more wheat then white if you don't mind a grainier texture.   I also used crushed pecans in place of the walnuts the recipe called for.  I'm sure walnuts would be great too, I just didn't have any on hand.  I hope you have a great week ahead!



Mocha Walnut Wonder Muffins

Ingredients:

3 large eggs
3/4 cup canola oil
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup strong black coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup cocoa (sifted, then measured)
1 1/2 cups white flour
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts/pecans
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used 3/4 cup mini chips)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375* F.

Combine the eggs, oil, buttermilk, coffee, and vanilla, and set aside.

Sift the rest of the ingredients, except for the nuts and chocolate chips, into a separate bowl.  Add the nuts and chocolate chips, and stir.  Add the dry mixture to the wet and mix quickly, just until blended.  Please do not dawdle and do not over mix (the cookbook states this not me).

Spoon the batter into prepared muffin tins and bake for about 20-25 minutes (only took 20 minutes in my oven), or until done.  Test with a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin.  When it comes out clean, the muffins are done.

I actually think this is a great muffin, but you could probably frost with a yummy coffee flavored frosting or just a plain white butter-cream frosting if you wanted a twist on the traditional chocolate cupcake.

Enjoy!

The cookbook this recipe is found in can be purchased through amazon.com or possibly located at your local library.