EVEN MORE POPPERS--MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP & FUNNELFUDGE

I have found so many good recipes for muffins in Mad about Muffins, A Cookbook for Muffin Lovers by Dot Vartan.  The last couple of days I have tried two more recipes from the cookbook with just a few changes.  

I started making poppers when I tried a recipe for pumpkin poppers. A popper is just a mini-muffin, but so much cuter and you don't have to eat so much either. (You know I LOVE "portion-controlled" recipes.)

I made the Mint Chocolate Chip muffins in my mini-muffin tins but I did make the Funnelfudge muffins in a regular muffin tin.  I just cut them in half so there would be enough for my husband to share with the other volunteers in the tax office at Fort Leavenworth.  (I don't know what I will do when the taxes have all been done and my husband is no longer going over there 5 days a week.  I will have to find somewhere else to donate my baked goods.)

Remember, with the print friendly button on the bar at the bottom of the post, you can chose to remove images when you print.

MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP POPPERS

1-1/4     cups all-purpose flour
1            tablespoon baking powder
1/4         teaspoon salt
1/4         cup powdered cocoa
3/4         cup stevia (or sugar)
1/4         teaspoon cinnamon
1            egg
1/4         cup canola oil
2/3         cup skim milk
1            teaspoon mint extract
1            cup miniature chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 24 mini-muffin cups with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Resift the flour mixture with the cocoa, stevia, and cinnamon.

In another bowl, lightly beat the egg with a whisk.

Stir in the oil, milk, and mint extract.

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir just til combined.

Stir in the chips.

Fill the muffin cups evenly with all of the batter...cups will be full.

Bake for 12 minutes.

Cool 2 minutes in tins before removing to finish cooling on a wire rack.

Makes 24 poppers. Store in an airtight container.





(If you chose to make regular muffins, preheat oven to 375 degrees F and bake for 18 minutes.  Makes 12 muffins.)

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The Funnelfudge muffins make a really good chocolate muffin even without the "kiss".  I didn't have the 5 squares of semi-sweet chocolate that Dot's recipe called for so I substituted a German's Sweet Chocolate Bar. My husband thinks they would have been good with chocolate chips instead of the "kiss". If I didn't use the "kiss", I would cook them in my mini - muffin tin and make poppers.

FUNNELFUDGE MUFFINS

1/2       cup margarine (1 stick)
1/3       cup water
1          bar (4 - oz) German's Sweet Chocolate Bar
5          tablespoons cocoa
2/3       cup sugar
2          cups all-purpose flour
1          tablespoon baking powder
1/4       teaspoon salt
1          egg
1/2       cup skim milk
1/2       cup light or fat-free sour cream
2          teaspoon vanilla extract
12        Hershey Kisses candies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Spray a 12-cup regular muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a small saucepan, melt the margarine over low heat.

Add the water and chocolate bar and stir until the chocolate bar is melted.  

Set aside and cool.

In a large bowl, sift together the cocoa, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. 

(twice)

In another bowl, combine the egg, milk, sour cream, and vanilla extract.  

Mix with a whisk til smooth.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, 

and pour in the egg mixture and the cooled chocolate mixture.

Stir with a wooden spoon til well blended.

Fill muffin tin. 

Unwrap kisses, (I used milk chocolate, but think the dark chocolate would taste great also.)

and place one in the center of each muffin cup of batter...

and push it down in the batter. (Make sure you push down well. A few I didn't push as far and they baked up in the muffin.)

Bake for 20 minutes.

Cool in muffin tin. 

Remove to wire rack.

Makes 12 muffins with a surprise in the center. Store in an airtight container.