Not an Ugly Cupcake

(above) Chocolate Chip Muffins

Some people have referred to muffins as ugly cupcakes. I completely disagree with that statement. After all, there's nothing ugly about a warm, moist chocolate chip muffin with a crackly sugar top. Muffins are also a pretty good excuse to eat cake for breakfast as well. You can store them in the fridge, but they are best served warm so please warm them up for a couple of seconds in the microwave before consumption. These are so easy and quick to make that you could honestly finish making the batter in the 10 - 15 minutes it takes to preheat the oven. Put down that Betty Crocker Muffin Mix and make your own. Please.

You could also make your own "muffin mix" by combining the dry ingredients in a ziplock bag ahead of time. All you'd have to to is add oil, milk, vanilla and an egg.

(above) The muffin batter.

(above) The muffin batter in baking cups, sprinkled with a large pinch of the sugar mixture.

(above) Muffins fresh out of the oven. Leave them to cool for a minute in the pan.

(above) A lone chocolate chip muffin with a crackly sugar top.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Makes around one dozen muffins
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg
3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Grease bottoms only of 12 muffin cups or line with baking cups.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, chocolate chips, and salt; mix well. In a small bowl, combine milk, oil, vanilla and egg; blend well. Add this to dry ingredients; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened (batter will be lumpy.)
3. Fill cups 2/3 full. Sprinkle tops of muffins before baking with a large pinch of a combination of 1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. There may be some left over brown/white sugar mixture.
4. Bake for 11 - 14minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 1 minute before removing from pan. Serve warm.

Adapted from "Chocolate Chip Muffins" on allrecipes.com. The original recipe can be found here.