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Mother’s Day is pretty much synonymous with brunch, so it only seemed appropriate to share this recipe with you this week. Muffins are easy to make and go well with just about any type of breakfast/brunch foods. These muffins are slightly more involved than others, but the effort is well worth it. This is a standard muffin recipe enhanced by espresso and chocolate chips. Coffee and chocolate is one of my favorite flavor combinations (right up there with strawberry and chocolate), so this recipe was a must-make for me as soon as I found it.
The recipe is made like a recipe for cupcakes, which gives these muffins a step up from standard recipes. Butter and sugar are creamed, then the wet and dry ingredients are added in alternating batches. The result is a muffin with a slightly crisp exterior and a tender interior. These are incredibly rich and offer a punch of espresso flavor that’s balanced by a healthy dose of semisweet chocolate chips. Served with a cup of coffee and some fresh fruit, this is my ideal breakfast. You should note that these are meant to be bakery style muffins, which means they bake up quite large. They’ve got that big, round, crusty top that makes bakery muffins so fantastic. This is great if it’s the only thing you’re having for breakfast, but you may want to make them smaller if they’ll be part of a breakfast or brunch spread. If you do make them smaller, make sure to reduce the baking time slightly to account for that change.
If you want to try other variations, simply replace the espresso and chocolate chips. You could use lemon zest, jam, seasonal fruit, peanut butter chips or pretty much anything your heart desires. If you’re feeling especially decadent, I think these would be great cut in half with a slather of Nutella on each piece. Too bad I didn’t think of that before they were all gone!
Still searching for ideas for Mother’s Day brunch? Here are a few of my favorites:
Stuffed Nutella French Toast with Strawberries
Lemon Ricotta Muffins
Chocolate Chip Scones
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Espresso Chip Bakery-Style Muffins
Makes 12 large muffins
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
3 tablespoons instant espresso powder
1 1/2 cups plain low-fat yogurt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 375º. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, whisk together the espresso powder and yogurt. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the yogurt and flour mixture in batches, starting and ending with the yogurt (3 additions of yogurt, 2 of flour). Mix only until just incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate chips.
Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups, using a dough/ice cream scoop if possible. The cups will be very full. Bake until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway through baking. Invert onto a wire rack, stand upright and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Serve.
Source: The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook
 
Chicken salad can be boring. It’s plagued by dry chicken and flavorless dressing. It’s not something I would typically want to make at home. Recently, though, I had a fantastic chicken salad sandwich at my favorite coffee shop in Williamsburg. It was curried chicken salad on fruit and nut bread, and I knew I had to recreate it at home. I only made the salad part this time around, but I’m looking for a fruit and nut bread recipe so I can make the full version next time around.
This chicken salad is a far cry from the plain, mayonnaise-laden versions of my past. It’s made mostly with yogurt, which gives it a much lighter texture. I used nonfat yogurt this time around because it’s what I had on hand, but I know this would be fantastic with Greek yogurt too. This chicken salad is amped up with curry and a bit of cayenne. There’s added texture from the grapes, and you could even add nuts if you wanted. I roasted my chicken, but you could cook it in chicken broth or even use a rotisserie chicken. The great thing about this recipe (besides the fact that it tastes delicious) is that it’s highly adaptable. You can increase or decrease the amount of curry and cayenne to suit your tastes. Don’t like grapes? Try adding a handful of dried fruit (I think apricots would be great) instead. I ate this as a salad over a bed of arugula and on crackers, and I enjoyed it both ways. Think of this recipe more as a jumping off point, and you can create your own chicken salad masterpiece.
Curried Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
3-4 tablespoons mayonnaise
3-4 tablespoons plain or Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon curry powder
Large pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 cup red grapes, halved
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro or parsley
Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, curry powder, salt and pepper. Add the chicken, celery, grapes and scallions and toss to coat evenly with the yogurt mixture. Stir in the cilantro. Serve with crackers and/or your favorite greens. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Source: Adapted from Serious Eats and Ellie Krieger
Eric and I were so excited to make an Easter basket for Clara this year. The fact that she was only one month old didn’t stop us. Part of her basket included Reese’s Cups. The cashier at Target kind of laughed when she saw the bag of candy, but I told her Clara would be getting a taste of it via proxy. After Easter, the bag of Reese’s went straight into the freezer because I think they taste so much better frozen. I had plans to save them for these cookies, but they somehow slowly disappeared from the freezer. I guess they would’ve been safer in the pantry!
Simply put, these cookies are phenomenal. I made them for the DC Food Bloggers Bake Sale, one of many bake sales taking place across the country to raise money for Share Our Strength. I wanted to make something that would appeal to a wide variety of people, and I’m happy to report that these disappeared in no time. It’s no wonder, with all those Reese’s Cups showing through, that they went quickly. You could certainly use mini peanut butter cups, but I personally like the look the larger ones provide. The thing I especially like about this recipe is that there’s peanut butter in the cookie dough, instead of coming only from the peanut butter cups. This means you get twice the chocolate and peanut butter! I hope the people that purchased them yesterday enjoyed them as much as we did.
In addition to these cookies, I also made chipotle cornbread (recipe forthcoming) and my favorite chocolate chip scones.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Makes 16-24 cookies, depending on size
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
2 cups coarsely chopped peanut butter cups, divided (Frozen for at least 30 minutes)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º. Line baking sheets with parchment or nonstick baking mats. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, peanut butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add in the egg and vanilla and milk and beat until smooth. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add in flour mixture. Beat just until combined. Using a spatula, gently fold in 1 1/2 cups of the peanut butter cups.
Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Gently press a few pieces of the reserved peanut butter cups onto each ball of dough. Bake for 11-14 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies. The cookies should feel soft when they come out of the oven and will set as they cool. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
Source: King Arthur Flour via Annie’s Eats
Being so close to DC is one of the best things about living in Virginia. We love the history, of course, but we also love the awesome restaurants there. One of our favorite spots is Good Stuff Eatery, run by Spike Mendelsohn (of Top Chef and Next Iron Chef fame). We always eat way too much food when we’re there, but we justify it because of all the walking we do on our DC trips. Our order usually consists of two burgers, two Blue Moon beers (because they have it on tap – yum!), plus an order of fries and a milkshake to share. The fries are unlike any fries I’ve had before, which was why we were so excited to see the recipe in Spike’s cookbook. They’re herby and delicious, and I’m so glad we can recreate them at home.
We often make baked fries when we have burgers at home. However, since the black bean burgers we make are healthy, I feel like it’s okay to splurge on the fries. That makes sense, right? This recipe is different in that Spike uses Red Bliss potatoes. Most fry recipes I’ve seen call for Russets or some other type of starchy potato, but I like this version because the skin can be left on the potatoes, making them tastier and easier to prep. We’ve made these several times and have often just used regular red potatoes. This time, we used a blend of small red, yellow and purple potatoes. Like any good fry recipe, these require a double fry in the oil. This leaves the fries with a slightly crispy exterior and a wonderfully soft and potato-y interior. The herb mixture elevates these to almost gourmet status. If you’re looking for a fry recipe to indulge in occasionally, this is it.
*Thanks to everyone who shared their comments about finding ways to be more eco-friendly! The winner of the Envirosax giveaway is Shelly who said, “I would like to find uses out of jars, plastic containers, and other food containers. I always end uplooking at an empty container wondering what I could do with it. When I can’t think of anything I end up recycling it. Recycling is good, but if I could reuse it multiple time before throwing it away I would be a lot happier!” Congrats, Shelly!
Village Fries
Makes 2 generous servings
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds red potatoes (Red Bliss if you can find them)
Vegetable or peanut oil for frying
1/3 cup chopped fresh rosemary
1/3 cup chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon coarse salt
Directions:
Wash and scrub the potatoes under cold running water, then pat dry. Cut in half lengthwise, then into long strips about 1/4-inch thick. Combine rosemary, thyme and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
In a deep pot or Dutch oven, heat about 3 inches of oil until it reaches 250º. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set near the stove. One handful at a time, add fries and cook until tender but still pale. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider. Drain on paper towels and repeat with remaining fries. Once all fries are cooked, refrigerate until cool.
Increase the temperature of the oil until it reaches 350º. Line the baking sheet with fresh paper towels. Repeat frying process, this time cooking until fries are golden and slightly crispy. Sprinkle herb mixture over fries while they’re still hot. Serve immediately.
Adapted from The Good Stuff Cookbook
First of all, I want to thank all of you for the words of encouragement you sent to us through your comments and emails. I feel so lucky to have such wonderful and caring readers, and I appreciate you letting me tell Clara’s story. To those of you that shared your personal stories with us, thank you. Your words have touched us in ways I can’t begin to describe.
Since Earth Day is this weekend, I want to share a few of our eco-friendly habits with all of you. Being green is important to us. We’ve reduced our garbage to only one bag a week because we recycle everything we can. Now that we own our own home, we’re hoping to reduce our waste even more by composting. We’ve got plans to set up a rain barrel soon, which will hopefully provide enough water for our garden. We’re also hoping to grow even more produce this year, possibly in a raised bed garden. Also, when the season is right, we try to buy local foods whenever possible. Virginia is rich with agriculture, which means we have easy access to local produce, dairy, meat, etc. There are so many small things that each of us can do to reduce our impact on the planet. Perhaps the biggest change we’ve made this year is to use cloth diapers and wipes on Clara. It’s been fantastic, and she looks darn cute with her fluffy bum. (You may have seen a few pictures of her in them if you follow me on Twitter or Instagram.) I won’t go into the details here; this is a food blog after all. But if you ever want to know about our experience, feel free to send me an email or a message on Facebook. We’re also into refurbishing old furniture and giving new life to things so that they don’t end up in a landfill. Check out this before and after of Clara’s dresser:
One easy way to make a difference is to eat less meat. Eric and I have significantly reduced our meat consumption over the past few years. We used to have meat with almost every meal, now the opposite is true. At first, our meatless meals were mostly pasta dishes, but this changed as our tastes and skills developed. We’ve got several vegetarian recipes in our repertoire now, but these burgers are my favorite. I posted a recipe for black bean burgers a couple years ago, and that was my go-to recipe until now. Those are delicious but probably work better for lunch. These burgers are thick and hearty, making them perfect for a meatless dinner. They’re moist and flavorful, just like any burger (even a meatless one!) should be. Not only are they delicious, but they’re healthy to boot! Bonus: they can be made ahead of time and cooked later. This recipe just wins all around. I made a batch of these to freeze before Clara was born, and they reheated wonderfully in the oven. I haven’t tried letting them thaw and cooking them in the skillet, but I’ll update this post when I do.
And now for a little surprise: I’ve got a giveaway to celebrate Earth Day! Up for grabs is this awesome set of five Envirosax bags. I absolutely adore mine and take them everywhere with me. They’re durable and cute and can be used for way more than groceries. The best part is that it’s easy for me to remember them because they fold up so nicely in my purse/diaper bag. To enter, leave a comment on this post telling me one thing you want to do to be more eco-friendly.
The Rules: One entry per person, U.S. residents only. The giveaway will close at 11:59pm EST on Monday, April 23. Entries that do not follow the entry requirements will be excluded. One winner will be selected at random and contacted via email by Tuesday, April 24. Good luck!
Full disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by yours truly.
Black Bean Burgers
Makes 6
Ingredients:
3/4 cup panko
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed, divided
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1 shallot, minced
Directions:
Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Using a fork, toss together the panko and 2 teaspoons of oil in a small bowl. Add to the skillet and stir frequently until light golden brown and toasted. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
Set aside 1/2 cup of the beans and place remaining beans in a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher or fork until mostly smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 tablespoon of oil, cumin, salt and cayenne. Add the egg mixture, toasted panko, remaining beans, bell pepper, garlic, cilantro and shallot to the bowl with the mashed beans. Stir until evenly combined.
Divide mixture into 6 equal portions, about 1/2 cup each. Shape into patties about 1-inch thick. (If not cooking immediately, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Alternately, place on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze, then store in an airtight plastic bag.) Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Carefully place three of the patties in the skillet and cook until well browned on both sides, 8-10 minutes total. Transfer to a plate, tent with foil and repeat with remaining oil and patties.
Source: As seen on Annie’s Eats, originally from The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook
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Can’t wait to give it a whirl!
7 comments
I love your little owl milk jug! hehe, so cute. espresso and chocolate are one of my favorite combinations in a muffin. i can’t ever pass one up! your first Mother’s Day is this Sunday
so precious!
Goodness I love chocolate and coffee. These muffins sound great
Thanks for the recipe!
I loooove the sound of these. Yum!
These sound incredible!
Shut the front door! I am making these the first chance I get!
These look delicious!! I will be making them soon.
You can’t go wrong with espresso and chocolate. Best part is, you can get your caffeine in the muffin and can skip the morning coffee. Thanks for sharing!