Charming Chocolate Chip Muffins

It was the first day that I have ever had hired help with my daughter. Even though it was my niece, her cousin, it was new for me.

I had no idea what to do with myself since I normally don’t do anything alone. Gosh that sounds so sad. Ha ha! So I set out to just do something I enjoy doing at home, but without interruption. Which meant full attention to my recipes, my photos, my fun kitchen dancing skills and of course being able to LISTEN to my instrumental music I love so much.

Even though on every single given day, I do spend it in a kitchen. Mostly because I just am not a gal who sits well and I am a total kitchen person. I really enjoyed every single 120 minutes of it.

In between baking and during some waiting steps, I would step outside to my garden space, enjoy the environment and soak up some moments of sunshine. Knowing I was able to go back inside without any bother to actually finish my task! You parents know what I’m talking about. Ha!

So as I chose what to make in the kitchen today, I quickly realized snack time was coming. Gracie was being such a good girl downstairs with her new babysitter, I wanted to make her snack a treat also. So the beautiful idea of muffins came to mind and of course chocolate chips make everything a treat. Boom and vwa-la!

Something about natural sunshine light is the best!

WHAT YOU NEED TO GET THESE TASTY TREATS:

• 1 cup Almond milk (Soy works also)
• 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar (lemon juice works also)
• 3/4 cups granulated sugar. (I used coconut)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup Apple sauce
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips (I used about 2-3 tbsp extra for topping before baking)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Pre heat your oven to 325F and place 12 muffins liners inside pans.
2. Medium mixing bowl add your Almond Milk and Apple cider vinegar to create a vegan buttermilk. (Mine is brown in photos due to using coconut sugar) let it sit for about 10 minutes until it begins to bubble on top.
3. Large mixing bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Combine and set aside.
4. Once the buttermilk is ready after 10 minutes. Add your sugar, oil, applesauce and vanilla. Combine Well.
5. Now marry the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. I folded it together gently with a silicone spatula. Don’t over work it. The mixture will be a tad lumpy, it’s okay. Add in your 1 cup chocolate chips and fold together.
6. Fill liners about 3/4 full, SPRINKLE YOUR EXTRA CHIPS NOW if you want them.
7. Bake for 15-18 minutes. I baked for 17 minutes in my electric oven and tin pans.
8. Check with toothpick! If it’s mostly dry it’s done.
9. Once done baking, set aside and cool on rack for 15 minutes. I let mine completely cool in order to allow the liners to come off easier. Trust me! Unless you have silicone liners.

Curdling will happen pretty quickly once you mix the cider/lemon and milk.

This is the coconut sugar I used and explains the brown color tones on the muffins. If you use white sugar they will be much more of a basic white/yellow color.

While the buttermilk is settling, I get the other coming ingredients ready. Makes things so much easier for the mixing.

You see mine turned brown. Yours might be much more of a white color due to sugar choice.

Before you add the chips this is how it should look. Just some basic small lumps. It’s okay!

Once you add your 1 cup of chips.

This is how they looked before I topped them with chips. But it is also showing how full I filled the liners.

You can see how there are topped chips here and they are done being baked.

17 minutes baked at 325F! PERRRRFECT!

Toddler approved and seriously so good you need to be careful the plate isn’t too close! Ha!

Get creative! You could use ANY kind of chips!