It's Never Too Early For Chocolate

I feel like I have been slacking with the baking. It is quite taxing to look at my coworkers everyday when they walk by my office, look around, and then give me the puppy dog face. Why the puppy dog face? Well, I don't always bring in goodies. I know, I am absolutely awful. Today was especially bad though because it was a rough day at work for EVERYONE. First thing this morning, all the computers weren't working. Then, around lunch time, we had a lovely drug scandal to deal with. I swear, kids are so stupid. I decided that Friday would be a good day to have a pick me up for everyone.

After sending Glenn three links for muffins containing chocolate, he chose the one from Nigella Lawson. I've never actually tried any of her recipes before, so this was my first time. Apparently she is British and the recipe on foodnetwork's website is converted from metric measurements. (seriously, why do we have to be the odd ones out in the states and use stupid things like cups and inches? why can't we be normal like everyone else in the world and do meters and grams?) I looked through the comments on the recipe to confirm that these were good and I should try them, and instead I get a bunch of complainers who say that the recipe is wrong and should actually be 1 3/4 C sugar, and that the conversion is wrong. Ummm, say what now? There is plenty of sugar in these muffins... they are muffins after all, not cupcakes. Whatever, I made the recipe as written and these are nice and fluffy muffins with plenty of melty chocolate bites. I was a bit deceived though, because I thought these were double chocolate, but really, the batter is a light chocolate flavor meant to enhance the chocolate chips. These are perfectly not too sweet and chocolatey, perfect for breakfast.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons best quality cocoa powder
3/4 cup superfine sugar
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1 cup milk
1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Special equipment: Muffin tin with paper muffin cases

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, sugar, and 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips into a large bowl. Pour all the liquid ingredients into a measuring jug. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together, remembering that a lumpy batter makes the best muffins. Spoon into the prepared muffin cases. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips on top and then bake for 20 (I suggest a minute or two shorter in time) minutes or until the muffins are dark, risen and springy.