Chocolate Breakfast Muffins

I'm sorry about all the posts about pregnancy stories, but if you haven't been pregnant, you haven't experienced some of the most bizarre occurances in life.  For example, my family and I were headed into Boulder City this past weekend for the "Day out with Thomas" train ride.  My 5 1/2 year old daughter informed us, as we were only five minutes from our destination that she forgot her shoes.  We laughed about it and tried to figure out where in Boulder City we could get shoes.  This town is super small and probably doesn't even have a Wal-Mart.  Luckily, we saw a CVS.  We pulled in there and I waddled in to see if I could find some shoes or flip-flops or something.  I did.  I went up to pay for them.  Now, the lady behind the counter was probably about 70.  Her dyed midnight-black hair was thrown up into a messy beehive-looking do that had more fly-aways than a flock of pigeons being attacked my a pack of rabid dogs.  She had on dark reddish-purple lipstick that was a little too thick.  She had on heavy eye make-up.  In fact, she probably had more eye make-up on one single eye that I have ever worn in my entire life.  I walked up, and she said, "Oh, my!  Did you swallow a basketball?" while smiling with her coffee-stained teeth.  To avoid any further discussion, I told her that I was smuggling a bowling ball out of the store.  She proceeded to rech over the counter and place both hands on my stomach and rub it.  Hello?!  Who does that?!  She asked if it was a girl or boy.  I told her it was a girl.  She took her hands off, looked at me with the look of a mother after her daughter tells her that she's decided to drop out of school and start a Ace of Base cover band in Finland.  The woman stated with near disgust, "It can't be a girl!  You are carrying far too high."  I honestly think I didn't respond for a good twenty seconds becuase I was baffled as to why a woman that predict the gender of a baby based on belly height is working at CVS.  I just laughed it off, nudged the flip-flops in her direction, and hoped she'd ring me up without any further confused looks or physical contact.  When she handed me the bag, I booked it out of there.  I'm surprised she didn't chase me down with a measuring tape!  Good times, I tell you.

Speaking of good times, any time these scrumptious morsels are served for breakfast, good times are sure to follow.  These were an utter delight!  My kids both had a friend sleep over a couple weekends ago, and I made these for breakfast.  The four-year-old boy that was over here said, "Ummm.. are these supposed to have chocolate chips in them?" as his wide eyes and smile observe the melty chocolate chips.  These muffins were gobbled right up.  I can't wait to make them again someday soon.

 Chocolate Breakfast Muffins
source: KingArthurFlour.com  http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/chocolate-breakfast-muffins-recipe

2/3 cup  Dutch-proces cocoa

1 3/4 cups Flour
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
1 cup chocolate chips
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 t vanilla
2 t vinegar
1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Place muffin liners in your muffin tin.

In a large bowl, combine the cocoa, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips.

In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk, vanilla, and vinegar.  Add this to the dry ingredients.

 Add the melted butter as well.

 Stir just until moistened.

 Use a cookie scoop to get the batter into the muffin liners.  I sprinkled the top with regular sugar, but the original recipe calls for sugar pearls, which I'm sure everyone has on hand. 

 Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Let them cool a few minutes before devouring them. 

Aren't the lovely?  These are the closest I have found to those big chocolate muffins you find at Sam's Club or Costco.  This recipe is a keeper!