Mocha Muffins

I love birthdays. I don't just mean my own either. I love celebrating friends and families birthday. It's an excuse to bake, which I love. Did you know I haven't baked one thing since December 24th? I hardly even did any baking during Christmas. I just made one pie. Anyway, it was recently my dad's birthday. We work together, so rather than baking him something like a pie or cake, I decided to bake something semi-sweet that could be enjoyed first thing in the morning when I saw him.

Working on your birthday can definitely be a bummer, but hey, any day that includes coffee and a baked good, doesn't seem so bad to me. These muffins were easy to put together after a busy day at work, working out, and cooking dinner.

I'm a huge coffee flavor fan, and my dad is a huge mocha fan, so these just seemed like the perfect baked good for him. They smell amazing! I'd recommend pairing them (obviously) with a latte, like I did. I'm sure a glass of milk wouldn't be so bad either.

Mocha Muffins
Recipe from Cooking Light January/February 2012

2/3 cup whole milk
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 large egg
9 oz (about 2 cups) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare muffin cups and spray lightly with cooking spray.

2. In a large measuring cup whisk together milk through egg.

3. In a mixing bowl; combine flour, sugar, baking powder, & salt. Stir in chocolate chips. Add milk mixture to flour and stir until just combined.

4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 16-18 minutes. Remove muffins from pan immediately and place on a wire rack to cool.

Note: I baked mine for the whole 18 minutes and they were a little dry. I'd recommend checking them at 16 minutes.