In the world of breakfast baked goods, I don’t often reach for a muffin. Not because they’re bad, but just because they’re competing with a lot of strong players: croissants, scones, cinnamon rolls, etc. But, occasionally I get a craving for a muffin in the morning, and I realize… that’s just a craving for cake for breakfast. It’s amazing I don’t crave muffins every morning, really.
Sometimes a muffin really is all that can satisfy a breakfast-time craving! I randomly craved muffins this past weekend, and pulled together a batch of five because I didn’t want to commit to 12. Who needs 12 muffins?
For these muffins, I used up my rye flour because I’ve had some success with rye scones and I figured it would work in muffins as well.
I added chocolate chips for… obvious reasons. However, I do think these muffins were lacking in something truly exciting. I’ve done chocolate chip rye several times now. And the rye flour made these very sturdy and almost bread-like.
These muffins were by no means bad. But they weren’t “WOW!” Which, not every bake can be a WOW. Many of them are actually pretty standard. I’ve just been on a bit of a roll, so these were a reminder of average-ness.
That’s okay though. They were still a great breakfast treat. Bringing one in to work brightened the otherwise very dreary experience of working from a basement in an abandoned cubicle. Eating one at home, warmed in the microwave with butter, was a great way to start the week.
I won’t be running to make these again, but I did enjoy having a few days of muffin breakfasts. Because, sometimes a muffin is really all you need. It’s the most socially acceptable way to eat cake for breakfast.
Print
Print
PinDescription
Makes 4-5 muffins
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rye flour
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup milk of choice
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Make the muffin batter. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt. In a small liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk and the vanilla.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter. Beat on medium-high until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, 2 to 3 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary. Reduce the mixer to low and add the egg.
- With the mixer still on low, add the the dry ingredients in three equal parts, alternating with the wet ingredients in two parts. Beat until just combined, then scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more, then beat on low for an additional 30 seconds. Immediately reduce the mixer to low and add the chocolate chips, mixing until incorporated evenly throughout the batter, about 30 seconds.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare a muffin tin by spraying the inside and border of every other cavity in the muffin tin generously with cooking spray, or lining with muffin liners.
- Use a 1-tablespoon or 3-tablespoon cookie dough scoop to fill each sprayed cavity with 6 tablespoons of the batter. Sprinkle the top of each cavity, aiming for the batter and avoiding the pan, with 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar each. Pour warm water into the outer cavities of the muffin tin’s final row, filling them at least two thirds of the way up.
- Bake the muffins. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes, or until the muffins are domed and golden brown around the edges. A skewer inserted into the center of a muffin should come out with a few crumbs attached. Cool the muffins in their muffin tin on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
- Serve and store. Serve warm, or at room temperature. The muffins are best on the day that they’re made, but can be individually wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Notes
Adapted from Hummingbird High