Cupcakes Always Make Things Better

I received a surprise in the mail a couple of weeks ago from my best friend Mary Lou. The gift came right in the middle of several weeks that were a little tough, and the note she included made my day. "Cupcakes always make things better!"

Here's the gift: the hummingbird bakery cookbook. Lots of recipes and beautifully illustrated. I was ready to begin, and I chose to whip up a batch of chocolate muffins.

I gathered everything I needed.

Mix the eggs and sugar together.

Alternately add the dry ingredients --

-- and the milk.

Stir in the melted butter.

Fold in the chocolate.

Fill up the liners and the muffin tins are ready to go to the oven.

Yum!

Chocolate Muffins

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

a pinch of salt

2/3 cup whole milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 stick plus 3 Tablespoons butter, melted

4 ounces milk chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Put the eggs and sugar in a mixer and beat until pale and well combined.

3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, combine the milk and vanilla. Gradually beat these 2 mixtures alternately into the egg mixture little by little. Beat until just incorporated.

4. Stir in the melted butter with a wooden spoon, the fold in the chocolate until evenly dispersed.

5. Spoon the batter into the paper lines until 2/3 full and bake for 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool slightly in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.