Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup light or regular sour cream
1/2 cup water or plum juice
1/2 cup lowfat milk
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, chocolate chips and salt. Toss to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, water (or juice), milk, oil and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet mixture, stirring just until moistened (a few dry streaks and lumps are fine).

Line muffins cups with paper liners and fill the cups 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake for 16-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove the muffins to a wire rack to let cool completely.

Makes 30 muffins.

Notes:
Oh my heck!  That's all I can say.  I mean, what more do you need - the title has chocolate in it twice.  :)  Make these.  Quick.  They are SO good.  They're definitely a muffin, not a cupcake - think those ginormous muffins you get from Costco or Sam's Club times about a hundred because they're homemade and moist and delicious.

Southwestern Chicken Barley Chili

Source: adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, where else?

Ingredients:
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained (I used the kind with green pepper, celery and onion)
1 (16-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup medium barley (not quick cooking)
4 cups water
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
dash cayenne pepper (more or less to taste) (didn't have any, so didn't use any)
1 clove garlic, minced (this was my addition - I have a lot of garlic, okay?)
salt and pepper, to taste (also my addtion, just a few shakes of each)
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into bite-size pieces (I only used one, albeit a fairly large one, and I felt like that was plenty - stretch your meat further!)
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels (I used 1 can of corn since I had it, but frozen probably tastes better)

Garnishes: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions, tortilla chips

Directions:
In a large pot (about 6-quarts), combine the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, barley, water, chili powder, cumin, dried oregano and cayenne (if using) (and garlic and salt and pepper, if you're like me). Stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat and add the chicken. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer the chili for 40 minutes, until the barley is tender and chewy and the chicken is no longer pink. Stir occasionally, while it simmers to prevent sticking and to make sure it stays at a steady simmer. After 40 minutes, add the beans and corn. Stir to combine and simmer for five more minutes. Serve the chili with optional garnishes, if desired (I definitely recommend the garnishes - as always - especially the green onion.)

The chili will thicken considerably upon cooling. Add chicken broth or water as needed to achieve a desirable consistency (especially if reheating the leftovers).

Notes:
Another barley recipe.  Another southwest recipe.  Another Mel's recipe.  Put 'em all together and you end up with this delicious soup!  Loved it.  (And Gregg did, too.)  Really, though, what's not to love?

Homemade English Muffins

Source: Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
3 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons honey
1 cup warm water
¼ ounce, weight yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons if you measure that way, like me)
¼ cup cornmeal
5-½ cups flour (I used half whole wheat)
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Combine milk, butter, and honey in a saucepan over medium heat. Warm until butter starts to melt, then whisk briefly. Remove pan from heat and allow liquid to cool to lukewarm.

Pour water into a mixing bowl and sprinkle with yeast. Stir gently with a fork. Set bowl aside for 10 minutes, or until yeast has dissolved.

Line baking sheets with waxed paper and sprinkle with a generous amount of cornmeal.

Pour cooled milk mixture into yeast mixture and gently stir until well blended. Add 3 cups flour and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until smooth. Beat in remaining flour and salt until the dough is no longer sticky. Scrape the dough onto a floured surface and dust with flour. Flour hands and knead dough for 3-4 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes.

Roll out dough with rolling pin to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the dough into circles (a tumbler or mason jar does well). Transfer muffins to prepared baking sheets and sprinkle with cornmeal. Cover with a dry, lightweight towel and let rise until doubled in height, 35-45 minutes.

When muffins have risen, heat a skillet (I used a flat, electric skillet - could fit 6 muffins at a time!) over medium heat. Carefully lift muffins from the pan and place on the ungreased skillet. Cook about 10 minutes on each side, using a spatula to flip them. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before splitting (with a fork) and toasting them.

Makes about 18-20 muffins.  Store muffins you don't eat in the fridge.  (They also freeze really well.)

Notes:
Confession: I love making yeast breads.  Kneading dough is one of my favorite things!  And since I'm no longer working in the lab with cell cultures (which had prohibited me from working with yeast for years) I am definitely taking advantage of my new-found freedom.  I saw this recipe a long time ago, and knew that it was going to be on my must-make list.  Finally I tried them out.  And then I debated (for a week or two) about whether or not to post the recipe afterward.  While these muffins looked exactly (well, maybe not exactly - but pretty darn close) like the kind you can buy in the store, I was a little disappointed in the flavor.  They just seemed a little bland by themselves.  Are English muffins from the store made from sourdough?  I don't know - and I'll probably keep looking for recipes that are a bit more authentic in flavor.  Despite all that, we, of course, ate them anyway.  They made excellent mini pizzas!

Orange Spice Cake

Source: Family Feedbag

Ingredients:
for the cake:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of 2 navel oranges (at least 1 tbsp, but more is better!)
1/4 cup orange juice
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves

for the glaze:
1/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375F.  Cream the butter and sugar using an electric beater.  Add eggs, oil, vanilla, orange zest, and orange juice, and beat well until smooth.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat well until smooth.

Pour the batter into a well-greased 9x9 baking dish and smooth out to evenly fill the pan. Baked in the center of the oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes.
Once removed from the oven, let the cake rest in the pan while you prepare the glaze.

In a small bowl, combine the orange juice with the powdered sugar using a whisk to work out all the lumps. Immediately pour the glaze over the cake, forming a delicate sugary crust while it cools.

Notes:
I spotted this recipe back in December when warm, spicy desserts are popular, but I didn't get around to making it till last week.  It was really delightful and moist and Christmasy, even in February (not necessarily a bad thing, by the way).  The only regret I have is that I waited so long to make it!  Amy, the author of the recipe and the blog that I got it from, suggests leaving out the spices for year-round enjoyment of this cake, but I love them so much, I think I'd just make it again as written, any old time of the year.