This recipe I am sharing with you today is the best chocolate chip muffin recipe. They bake up nice and light, with tall crowns and a beautiful tender crumb.
Not only that, but they are stuffed to the hilt with lovely semi sweet chocolate chips. You can use either normal sized ones of mini ones. Its your choice.
.JPG "Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins")
Its also a very simple chocolate chip muffins recipe. There are no bells and whistles. Nothing extraordinary to buy or include. No special equipment needed.
It is also a small batch recipe. It makes only six beautifully moist, tender and moreish muffins. Designed for the smaller family, you could certainly double up on everything to make an even dozen muffin if you wished to do so.
.JPG "Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins")
I have always liked to bake us/me a little something special to enjoy at the weekend. Maybe cookies, sometimes a cake or a pie, of delicious muffins such as these.
Just because I now live on my own is no reason for me to stop marking the weekend as being something special in this way. Too many people on their own live on fast food or out of cans or the frozen food aisle.
I am determined not to be that way, which is why I am small batching a lot of what I cook or bake these days.
.JPG "Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BAKERY STYLE CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS
Simple store cupboard ingredients. Nothing that you probably don't already have in!
For the dry ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups (175g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/2 TBS baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (135g) semi sweet chocolate chips
For the wet Ingredients:
- 1 large free range egg
- 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, shaken
- 1/2 TBS pure vanilla
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter, melted and cooled
.JPG "Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins")
I had a big bag of mini semi sweet chocolate chips in the cupboard, which is what I used this time, but you can use regular chocolate chips if you like. Both work very well.
I always use large free range eggs. We actually buy our eggs here from a farmer around the corner from me. You can actually see the chickens running around the yard. The eggs have beautiful hard shells and the yolks are brilliant yellow!
I also only ever use pure vanilla extract. You could also use vanilla paste if you are lucky enough to have some in your cupboard.
.JPG "Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins")
HINTS AND TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST MUFFINS
Muffins are really very simple to make, especially if you follow my hints and tips. They are much easier to make than cakes!
1. Mix wet and dry ingredients together separately
To prevent the mix from being overworked, first mix the wet ingredients together in one bowl and mix the dry ingredients in another. Make a well in the dry ingredients, carefully pour in the wet ingredients, then stir the mix a couple of times to just roughly combine.
2. Don't over-mix the batter
The most important rule of muffin making is to not over stir the mix. Instead, what you really want is to just moisten the ingredients. Resist the temptation to stir or beat the batter until it is smooth and lump free. You want the final mix to be lumpy, thick and floury.
3. Don't overfill
Aim to fill the cups ¾ full to get muffins with nice round tops and to prevent them from spilling out over the top of the cups.
4. Add an extra sprinkle of flavor and crunch on top
Once the muffin cups are all filled, you can choose to sprinkle the tops with more fruit, nuts, coarse sugar or a crumble topping for even more flavour. As the muffins rise these flavourful toppings will cook into the tops of the muffin.
.JPG "Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins")
5. Fill up your muffin pan
If there isn't enough batter to fill all your cups, half fill the empty ones with water. This will help the muffins to bake more evenly and will protect you from ruining and buckling your pan.
6. Cool them down
Once you remove the muffins from the oven, let them sit in their pan for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack. This is especially important for muffins that aren't in a paper liner, as it will help them to keep them from falling apart. However, remove them after five minutes otherwise they will end up with soggy bottoms. Not a good thing.
7. Freeze for later
Muffins freeze wonderfully, so if you can't enjoy them all on the day they're made, wrap them up tightly plastic wrap and pop them into the freezer for later. These reheat very easily by warming them up for about 30 seconds maximum from frozen in the microwave.
.JPG "Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins")
Today I used my ceramic six cup muffin baker. It bakes beautiful muffins and is perfect for when you only want to bake six muffins. The batter never sticks, and you end up with a lovely crusty exterior, with a light and fluffy middle.
You can use paper wrappers if you like, but I find with muffins that have additions like chocolate chips or raisins, they tend to stick to paper wrappers.
Remember a muffin is supposed to be a type of a quick bread and not a cake.
.JPG "Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins")
I have baked a LOT of muffins on here through the years. Here are some of my favorite and most popular muffins:
FOUR PERFECT BLUEBERRY MUFFINS - This recipe makes only 4 beautiful blueberry muffins. Delicately flavoured with fragrant lemon zest . . . and studded with plenty of fat blueberries.
ULTIMATE BUTTERMILK BRAN MUFFINS - This recipe bakes up especially delicious, yielding a muffin that is super moist and tasty, with a well rounded bakery style top. You cannot go wrong with one of these!
STICKY ALMOND MUFFINS - These muffins are very much like an upside down cake, except there is no fruit involved. Only nuts. You end up with sticky nut topped upside down muffins!
.JPG "Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins")
I really hope you will be tempted to bake these delicious muffins this weekend. They are fabulous muffins to enjoy with your morning coffee and/or as an afternoon snack.
Moist, fluffy, rich in flavor, loaded with sweet chocolate chips, and so delicious you will want to devour the whole muffin, not just the tops!!
Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins (small batch)
Yield: 6
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min
Soft, moist and fluffy. Loaded with plenty of chocolate chips. These muffins have a beautiful high dome and go really well with a hot drink!
Ingredients
For the dry ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups (175g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/2 TBS baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (135g) semi sweet chocolate chips
For the wet Ingredients:
- 1 large free range egg
- 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, shaken
- 1/2 TBS pure vanilla
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter, melted and cooled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C/ gas mark 7. Spray a six cup muffin pan really well with some canola cooking spray, or line with paper liners.
- Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl, combining well. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Whisk all of the wet ingredients together to combine well.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Fold both together just to combine, without overmixing.
- Divide between the buttered muffin cups.
- Bake for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Bake for a further 12 to 15 minutes, until well risen, golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before tipping out onto a wire rack to cool. These are lovely enjoyed whilst still warm.
Notes
You can make your own buttermilk substitute in one of two ways:
- Add 1 TBS of lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup and fill to make your measure of buttermilk. Stir and leave to clabber for 5 minutes.
- Mix together equal parts of full fat yogurt and whole milk to make up your measure and leave to set for 5 minutes to clabber.
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
I love, Love, LOVE molasses cookies. I have never met a molasses cookie that I haven't immediately fell in love with. There is something about the combination ginger and molasses that just warms the heart.
Of course my first loves are my own grandmother's molasses cookies. You can find that recipe here. Soft and pillow-like, they have been pleasing my family for generations!
.JPG "Nanny's Molasses Cookies")
I have very fond memories of helping my grandmother to roll them out on her countertop, cutting them and baking them when I was four years old. My grandmother was suffering from cancer at the time and did not live much longer than that.
I do not know how she mustered the strength to bake cookies with me, but she did. She always had time for me. I have many fond memories of cuddling with her in her ample lap while she sang the song "you are my sunshine" to me.
I am the only one of my siblings that remembers her. I am so grateful for those memories.
This recipe for Nanny's Molasses Cookies comes from the book entitled, The Lost Kitchen, by Erin French.
This is an Erin French Molasses cookie recipe which comes from the recipe collection left to her by her own sweet grandmother.
There is just something about grandmother's and molasses cookies. The two go together like peas and carrots!
.JPG "Nanny's Molasses Cookies")
What makes these that little bit different is that they are studded throughout with bits of candied ginger. Sweet, firey, bits of candied gingerroot.
I love the stuff and can sometimes be found to be munching on a piece. My favorites are the chunks you can buy which has been bathed in dark chocolate.
Ginger is, quite simply, one of my favorite flavors, full stop.
.JPG "Nanny's Molasses Cookies")
Not only are they studded with bits of candied ginger, but they are also filled with wonderful spicy flavors. Ginger. Cloves. Cinnamon. Cardamom. And, of course . . . dark sweet molasses.
The cardamom is my own addition. It is a flavor I have come to love in any kind of molasses ginger infusion. It goes very well.
.JPG "Lost Kitchen Molasses Cookies")
I also chose to downsize the recipe to make a half batch. She said her original recipe made two dozen, but I halved it and got 18 good sized cookies.
I sent some home with my sister to give to my dad. He likes something sweet after his supper and he loves molasses cookies. I am sure he will be quite happy with these.
.JPG "Nanny's Molasses Cookies")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE NANNY'S MOLASSES COOKIES
Simple baking ingredients that most of us already have in our larders. Its easy really.
- 1 3/4 cups (245g) plain all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 cup (110g) white vegetable shortening (Crisco or Trex)
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
- 1 large free range egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup (88g) molasses
- 1/3 cup (80g) chopped crystalized gingerroot (optional)
.JPG "Nanny's Molasses Cookies")
I suspect that they would not quite be the same if you were to use butter instead of shortening (white vegetable fat). Part of the appeal of these is the crisp exterior and soft fudgy interior.
I think that butter would make them too crispy, but I could be wrong. White shortening has its uses. Here in North American I would use Crisco, but in the UK, use white flora or Trex, both of which are available in the chiller aisle of the grocery shops.
You can also buy Crisco online in the UK at American grocery supply shops. I used to buy mine from Skyco.
.JPG "Nanny's Molasses Cookies")
Other than that everything else is pretty straightforward. Just plain all purpose flour, a variety of baking spices, egg, and some white granulated sugar.
Oh and molasses. In the UK you can replace equal amounts of dark treacle and golden syrup to make up the amount of molasses needed. But again, you can buy molasses at American Grocery supply shops online. I used to buy mine (again) from Skyco.
Look at how fudgy they are. Pure heavenly bliss.
.JPG "Nanny's Molasses Cookies")
HOW TO MAKE NANNY'S MOLASSES COOKIES
These are very simple cookies, which go together very quickly with an electric hand mixer.
Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Set aside.
Sift together the flour, soda, and all of the spices.
Cream the shortening with a hand held electric whisk until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, beating it in thoroughly. Beat in the molasses.
Add the dry ingredients, blending until the dough just comes together. Stir in the candied ginger. Cover and chill the dough for half an hour.
.JPG "Nanny's Molasses Cookies")
Using a cookie scoop form the dough into 1 inch balls. Have ready a bowl of sugar. Roll the balls in the sugar to coat and place onto the baking sheet leaving about 2 inches in between each. Press down gently with the palm of your hand to flatten slightly.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cracks should just be starting to form on the surface. They will actually look slightly underdone, but don't worry, they aren't.
Leave to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
.JPG "Nanny's Molasses Cookies")
You can see here that crisp sugar coating and the cracks which are spoken about in the recipe. You can also see the bits of candied ginger. So tasty!
If you are in the mood to bake cookies and these don't strike your fancy, here are some others you might enjoy!
QUARTER CUP COOKIES - Crisp edged, buttery and delicious and filled with lots of chocolate chips. toasted nuts, oatmeal, coconut and raisins.
SOFT AND CHEWY JAM AND SUGAR COOKIES - Sweet sugar cookies with tasty jam centers. These are fabulously moreish.
Happy baking!
Nanny's Molasses Cookies (small batch)
Yield: 18 cookies
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 25 Min
Soft inside, crisp and sugary on the outside. Studded with moreish bits of candied ginger. These are just wonderful.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (245g) plain all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 cup (110g) white vegetable shortening (Crisco or Trex)
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
- 1 large free range egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup (88g) molasses
- 1/3 cup (80g) chopped crystalized gingerroot
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Set aside.
- Sift together the flour, soda, and all of the spices.
- Cream the shortening with a hand held electric whisk until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, beating it in thoroughly. Beat in the molasses.
- Add the dry ingredients, blending until the dough just comes together. Stir in the candied ginger. Cover and chill the dough for half an hour.
- Using a cookie scoop form the dough into 1 inch balls. Have ready a bowl of sugar. Roll the balls in the sugar to coat and place onto the baking sheet leaving about 2 inches in between each. Press down gently with the palm of your hand to flatten slightly.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cracks should just be starting to form on the surface. They will actually look slightly underdone, but don't worry, they aren't.
- Leave to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan@aol.com
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
I think I have a favorite new biscuit recipe! I made these yesterday to take to a friend's place for dinner and they were a resounding success!
I had been watching Ina Garten on the television the other day and she was showing this guy how to make breakfast. She made were these fabulous sounding buttermilk cheddar biscuits to go along with scrambled eggs.
.JPG "Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits")
I was invited out for dinner yesterday and I thought they would be a great thing to bring. I am so pleased that I made them because they are the best cheese biscuits ever!
I knew they would be because one . . . Ina Garten . . . and two . . . cheese . . . and three biscuits. I couldn't go wrong!
.JPG "Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits")
Not only are the best cheese biscuits ever but they ended up being the easiest biscuits I ever made! She put them all together in her stand mixer, a process which really intrigued me.
I just had to make them!
.JPG "Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits")
My friend Diana has sent me a few cookbooks that she wasn't using last year before Christmas. One of them was Barefoot Contessa back to basics. I found the recipe in there and adapted it use both normal and British measurements.
I like to do that, and to be honest, I always use the weight method of baking now. I got used to it when I was in the UK and you don't get much more accurate than weighing things out. A gram is a gram is a gram. Cups however, are not always exactly the same.
.JPG "Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits")
Another thing I really liked about the recipe was that there is no waste, and no cutting and remixing the scraps to cut out more. You simply just pat the whole thing out to a large rectangle and then cut it into smaller rectangles.
I have always tried to get as many biscuits as I can from the first cut when it comes to making biscuits. The recuts are never quite as tender or the same as the first cuts. There are no recuts with this recipe so every biscuit was perfect!
.JPG "Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BUTTERMILK CHEDDAR BISCUITS
Simple ingredients put together in a really scrumptious way!
- 2 1/2 cups (350g) (approximately) plain all purpose flour
- 1 TBS baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (180g) cold butter, diced
- 1/2 cup (120ml) cold buttermilk, shaken
- 1 cold extra large egg (I used two small)
- 1 cup (120g) grated extra strong cheddar cheese
You will also need: (all optional)
- 1 egg beaten with 1 TBS water
- additional grated cheese to sprinkle on top
- flaked sea salt to sprinkle
.JPG "Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits")
You will note that the butter, eggs and buttermilk are all cold for this recipe. You also need to shake the buttermilk to make sure it hasn't separated. If your butter, eggs and milk are all cold you will have the best results.
I grate my own cheddar for this and used a lovely sharp farmhouse cheddar. Mine happened to be orange colored, but a white would work just as well. I really love the flavor of sharp cheddar. Rich and crumbly. I use the large holes on my box grater.
.JPG "Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits")
I was actually a bit surprised that there was no baking soda in the mix. I had always been taught that you need a bit of baking soda to react with acidic ingredients. This was probably counteracted in this recipe by the use of 1 full TBS of baking powder.
That is not a misprint. You actually will be using 1 TBS of baking powder. I was a bit concerned that using so much would make them taste overly chemically, but you could not taste the baking powder in the least.
Actually most biscuit recipes call for 4 tsp of baking powder and that is not far off from being a TBS anyways.
.JPG "Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits")
HOW TO MAKE BUTTERMILK CHEDDAR BISCUITS
This really was one of the easiest biscuit recipes I have ever made, I kid you not! You do need a good stand mixer, but I suppose you could also make them by hand if you don't have a stand mixer.
I love my kitchen aid stand mixer. I was so blessed to have been given it by a friend when I first moved back to Canada. I was blessed many times over by a great many people during that time and I hope that none of them ever think I took any of it for granted.
.JPG "Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits")
Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C/ gas mark 7. Line a baking sheet with some baking paper. Set aside.
Measure the flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Give it a brief whir on low. Add the butter and mix on low until the butter is the size of peas. (Its like magic)
Beat the buttermilk and egg together with a fork. With the mixer still on low, add the buttermilk to the flour/butter mixture and mix only until just moistened.
Mix about 1 TBS of flour with the grated cheese. With the mixer still on low add the cheese to the dough, mixing only until roughly combined.
.JPG "Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits")
Tip out onto a well floured board and knead gently to bring together about six times. Pat out into a 5 by 10 inch rectangle which is about 1 inch thick.
Using a sharp knife cut the dough into 8 biscuits, making 1 cup lengthwise and 4 crosswise. Place the rectangles onto the baking sheet leaving plenty of space between.
Brush the tops of the biscuits with some egg wash, taking care not to let any drip down the sides. Sprinkle each with a bit of cheese and some flakes of salt if using.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until well risen, golden brown and cooked through.
Serve hot or warm. We actually enjoyed them at room temperature about six hours after I baked them and they were gorgeous!
.JPG "Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits")
We actually enjoyed these with some cold cuts, potato salad, coleslaw, as well as sliced tomatoes and cucumbers. There was nothing left. These were gobbled up!
I did not put flaked salt on the top of them as I felt that the cheese was salty enough. I also didn't use her full amount of salt because my butter was salted butter. If you are using unsalted butter you might want to add an additional 1/2 tsp.
.JPG "Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits")
If you are fan of biscuits there is no shortage of biscuit recipes on here. Baking powder biscuits are one of my favorite things to make and to eat! Here are a few samples of what you will find:
MILE HIGH GREEK YOGURT BISCUITS - Another square biscuit with no waste. These are nice and tall and flaky! A real favorite!
QUICK AND EASY BUTTERMILK BISCUITS FOR TWO - A small batch recipe for the small family. Delicious and flaky and lacking nothing in the least as compared to their full batch counterpart!
BLUEBERRY BUTTERSWIM BISCUITS - rich and buttery with a beautiful crumb. These are filled with lovely sweet pockets of blueberry!
Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits
Yield: 8
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 35 Min
These are light, flaky, rich and delicious! Just what you would expect from Ina Garten. They go together quickly using a stand mixer and there is no waste.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (350g) (approximately) plain all purpose flour
- 1 TBS baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (180g) cold butter, diced
- 1/2 cup (120ml) cold buttermilk, shaken
- 1 cold extra large egg (I used two small)
- 1 cup (120g) grated extra strong cheddar cheese
You will also need: (all optional)
- 1 egg beaten with 1 TBS water
- additional grated cheese to sprinkle on top
- flaked sea salt to sprinkle
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C/ gas mark 7. Line a baking sheet with some baking paper. Set aside.
- Measure the flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Give it a brief whir on low. Add the butter and mix on low until the butter is the size of peas.
- Beat the buttermilk and egg together with a fork.
- With the mixer still on low, add the buttermilk to the flour/butter mixture and mix only until just moistened.
- Mix about 1 TBS of flour with the grated cheese. With the mixer still on low add the cheese to the dough, mixing only until roughly combined.
- Tip out onto a well floured board and knead gently to bring together about six times. Pat out into a 5 by 10 inch rectangle which is about 1 inch thick.
- Using a sharp knife cut the dough into 8 biscuits, making 1 cup lengthwise and 4 crosswise. Place the rectangles onto the baking sheet leaving plenty of space between.
- Brush the tops of the biscuits with some egg wash, taking care not to let any drip down the sides. Sprinkle each with a bit of cheese and some flakes of salt if using.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until well risen, golden brown and cooked through.
- Serve hot or warm.
Thank you so much for visiting. Do come again!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons