Sweet 'n' Savoury: Choco-Mocha Muffins

"Muffins are just small cakes in pretty doilies"

Our house nowadays sounds of Nursery rhymes, all the time!! Our little blessing, our daughter Vaanya has turned 22 months old today!! She is at her beautiful age of discovering a whole new world of Words !! With her extra sweet, honey dipped, melodious voice, she loves to sing nursery rhymes. And as a dutiful and adoring-her-to-bits family, we all love to sing with her. Its amazing how we have rediscovered the mesmerising world of Rhymes through Vaanya. From 'Twinkle twinkle' to 'Baa baa black sheep', we sing it all and Vaanya makes sure we join in enacting the rhyme with expressions and body movements.
While learning with Vaanya, I came across this rhyme

Oh, do you know the muffin man,

The muffin man, the muffin man,

Oh, do you know the muffin man,

That lives on Drury Lane?

Oh, yes, I know the muffin man,

The muffin man, the muffin man,

Oh, yes, I know the muffin man,

That lives on Drury Lane.

Needless to mention that this particular rhyme, made the muffin woman (that is me!!) of the house, lap her sleeves, don the apron and make a yummy batch of fresh muffins from the oven. And it so had to be these choco-mocha muffins, a combination of two rich flavours to celebrate our Sweet day.

Ingredients: Yields 6-7 regular muffins

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar, powdered
1 large egg
1/4 cup dark chocolate, melted
2 tbsp coffee powder/granules
1/2 tsp baking powder
chocolate chips for sprinkling

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius. Line muffin cups with liners or grease and line muffin cups with butter paper. If using silicone ones, grease lightly.

Melt the dark chocolate on a double boiler or microwave for a minute or till melted.

Dissolve coffee powder/granules in very little warm water.

In a bowl add butter and sugar and whisk till it becomes fluffy and creamy.

Sift flour and baking powder and add to the butter mixture. Add egg and mix well. Now add the melted chocolate and coffee and mix till incorporated well.

Pour the batter in the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle few chocolate chips on top and press them gently with the back of a spoon.

Bake for 20 mins or till a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

These muffins were truly very heavenly, enriched with chocolate and strong coffee flavour and the cute choco chips added to the sweetness quotient. Did I forget to mention about the Pudgy little fingers that were at their naughty best again!!