Earlier this week I had the urge to bake something for all the residents on my most recent rotation, but I couldn’t decide what to make.  I asked Ben for ideas and he suggested chocolate chip muffins.  These have been on my list to try for a long time so I thought that sounded perfect. These were very simple to make and everyone at work absolutely loved them!  I left them in a public area and then went to work on my research paper in my cubicle nearby.  Throughout the morning I could hear everyone talking about the muffins and how much they enjoyed them, and almost everyone stopped by to thank me.  I’d call that a success!  My only issue with the recipe is that the muffin cups were a bit overfilled.  Next time I make them, I will make a few extra muffins so that the batter doesn’t overflow (I have reflected this change below).  Be sure to have a glass of juice or milk ready to enjoy with these babies!

Chocolate Chip Muffins
Yield: 13-14 muffins

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 13-14 muffin wells with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir together with a fork.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions.  Mix in the vanilla until well blended.  Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl and mix on low speed just until incorporated.  Add the milk and mix until combined.  Mix in the rest of the flour mixture, beating just until incorporated.  Fold in the chocolate chips using a rubber spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin liners.  Bake for 21-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. 

Source: adapted from Williams Sonoma