Chocolate Mint-Chip Muffins

I received a gift card to King Arthur’s Flour back at Christmas and ordered mint chips. They’ve been sitting on the kitchen table ever since staring at Dean saying “eat me!” I saw a recipe on tv for chocolate chocolate-chip muffins and figure I could easily add my mint chips. I seem to need a reason before baking and this time they are for my Aunt Dawn. She won’t actually see these until she gets back from Lodi over the weekend, so hopefully it’ll be a nice birthday surprise for her when she gets home. (The formatting is not cooperating with me today.)

Chocolate Mint-Chip Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour


• 2 teaspoons baking powder


• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda


• pinch of salt


• 3 tablespoons best quality cocoa powder


• 3/4 cup superfine sugar


• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, plus extra for sprinkling on top


• 1/4 cup mint-chips


• 1 cup milk


• 1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons olive oil


• 1 egg


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

• Special equipment: Muffin tin with paper muffin cases


• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.


• Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, salt, sugar, and all the mint & chocolate chips into a large bowl.


• Pour all the liquid ingredients into a measuring jug.


• Mix the dry and wet ingredients together. (It's ok if the batter is lumpy).


• Spoon into the prepared muffin cases.


• Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top and then bake for 20 minutes or until the muffins are dark, risen and springy.

I added mint chips to the top as well but the color bled and even though it tastes great, it looks a little weird. They taste lovely so I hope she enjoys them. Happy Birthday Dawn!

Shortbread Cookies

What do you do with strawberries and Nutella? Why, put them on a homemade shortbread cookie of course! I referenced a few recipes to come up with this simple one.

Shortbread Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Cream softened butter thoroughly then slowly add the sugar and vanilla.
3. Sift flour and corn starch before adding. Mix well.
   
4. Press into a log form, place in plasticwrap and put in the fridge for one hour or the freezer for 20 minutes.
5. Cut log into 18 even slices.
   
6. Bake 25 minutes or until very light brown.
7. (Optional) Once cooled, spread with Nutella and half a strawberry.
8. Enjoy!

The dough was much to soft for my liking and one of the recipes I referenced called for the dough being chilled before baking. The other recipe said to spread the dough onto a cookie sheet and then cut after it was baked. Not having a cookie sheet with sides, I went with the 'freeze the dough and cut approach'. Uncle Dean says he practically lived off shortbread cookies when he was in London and said my cookies were very good. Success!

They are good with the toppings or plain!