Chocolate, how much do I love you? Let me count the ways... ~ (paraphrased and rejoojed) Sonnet 43

And of course I'm talking about CHOCOLATE!  Yes, yesterday I waxed poetic about the virtues of all things meat and potato comforting me, but some days I need comfort and I'm too down to cook or need a pick me up while I'm cooking my comfort meal! CHOCOLATE is my go to treat of choice! When my sweetheart knows he screwed up, he knows chocolate is the quickest and most direct way to say, "I'm sorry, and you're right, honey." 

When I was in the rehab facility recovering from a stroke I instituted a Snicker toll to my bedside and had my brother post that on FB for me! My friends all brought Snicker bars! It was around Halloween time, so few extra loving friends brought large bags of Snicker minis instead of the king size that I love so much.  My speech therapist even wheeled me down to the gift shop to buy me her toll! I hid my addiction well from all of my doctors and therapists (I think...well, except my speech therapist). I'm glad they were not my FB friends during that time. *lowering head in shame* My name is Johanne Foster, and I am a chocoholic. 

So this past Sunday I woke up extremely early with a desire to make some muffins, 2 bars of semi-sweet chocolate and jumbo chocolate chips in the fridge, a meeting that afternoon with some colleagues.  I wasn't necessarily craving it, but I just love chocolate so much and an abundance of chocolate was in my fridge calling my name! What's a girl to do?  OOEY GOOEY CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS it is!

When I make muffins my batter makes anywhere from 8 to 12 muffins (depending on how I fill the cups), so I always end up giving them away (I also make these as take home gifts when I throw dinner parties).  The last thing I need is to eat 8 to 12 of these oeey gooey delights.  You know, when I'm writing my blog entries, recalling the memory of making and eating these yummy morsels, and knowing that there are none left in the house, it all just makes me wish I had kept a few in my freezer.  If you live alone, have personal diet restrictions, or don't have a list of people who would enjoy a muffiny treat, then freeze the extras! You can defrost the muffin to room temperature, nuke it for 15 seconds, or some combo of both before eating! They'll taste almost as good as freshly baked muffins.

Try these muffins and let me know what you think!  I  have a ton more recipes I'll be posting every week or so...So keep an eye out for future muffin recipes and chocolate delights!

Tasty Tokens: OOEY GOOEY Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients

8 ounce semisweet chocolate
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon espresso
1/4 cup boiled water
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cup JUMBO semi-sweet chocolate chips (get the regular ones if you must but then you'll only get gooey instead of ooey gooey...IJS)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Lightly grease muffin pans, or use paper liners.

Dissolve the espresso in hot water, and set aside.

Over a double boiler over low heat, melt the semisweet chocolate together with the butter and buttermilk. Add the dissolved espresso, and let stand until cooled, about 10 minutes.

Lightly beat the egg. In a small bowl, stir together the melted chocolate mixture with the sugar, egg, and vanilla, until blended well.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour the chocolate mixture into the well, and stir until just combined.  The resulting mixture may have lumps, and that's ok. Do not over mix the batter or else you will have tough muffins.

Gently stir in the mini chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into the lined muffin cups.  Fill the muffin cups just below the edge.

Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Remove muffin tin from oven and let stand at least 10 minutes in the tin. Place the muffins on a wire rack and allow to cool completely (if you can wait). Serve warm or cooled; can be frozen as well and reheated in a toaster oven or microwave! When you bite into this chocolaty goodness you'll fall in OOEY GOOEY LOVE!

Serves 10

(I will display the OOEY GOOINESS of these muffins on my next go 'round with them!)

Tasty Tokens: Double Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients
8 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup half and half
1 teaspoon espresso

1/2 cup boiled water
1 cup white sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Lightly grease muffin pans, or use paper liners.

Over a double boiler over low heat, melt the semisweet chocolate squares together with the butter and 1/2 cup of half and half. Dissolve the espresso in hot water and add to the melted chocolate.  Let stand until cooled, about 10 minutes.

Lightly beat the egg. In a small bowl, stir together the melted chocolate with 1/2 cup half and half, sugar, egg, and vanilla, until blended well.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour the wet chocolate mixture into the well, and stir until just combined.

Gently stir in the mini chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into the lined muffin cups.

Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Remove muffin tin from oven and let stand at least 10 minutes in the tin. Let them cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or cooled; can be frozen as well.