chocolate chip bakery muffins

i got a text from a friend the other week who was having a rough day/week. first reaction … make muffins. bring friend muffins. i feel like that is the instinct in so many cultures. when we are sad, happy, celebrating … we bring food. it’s the source of nourishment and comfort. i am constantly using this muffin base from the cooks illustrated cookbook that houses seriously the best tips and tricks for home cooks. if you don’t have this on your christmas list…add it asap. i have baked plan cinnamon muffins, dried fruit muffins but most recently i made chocolate chip muffins. because when you’re having a down day nothing is better than baking a batch of chocolate chip muffins and passing them off as breakfast.

i think if they don’t have frosting they’re technically a not a cupcake right? let’s go with it.

the icing on the cake (no pun intended) is my favorite alternative to a basic crumble, dipping the warm muffin tops in melted butter and then rolling them in sugar and cinnamon. it dries into a nice crust and come on.. it’s butter. i also found these adorable nut cracker themed picks at homegoods and thought they were the perfect addition to make these a bit more festive.

this recipe will make 12 large muffins. make sure you spray the pan well because the tops over flow and who wants to spend forever scrubbing pans. you always want a nice release so you can dunk them in the melted butter.

ingredients
3 cups of flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter softened (i let sit out at least an hour)
1 3/4 cups of sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups of full fat sour cream
8-16oz chocolate chips (preference)

topping: a stick of butter melted and a bowl of sugar, cinnamon mix in optional.

preheat oven to 375 degrees F. spray the tin.

mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together and set aside.

in a mixer with the paddle attachement, beat butter and sugar on medium high speed until fluffy about three minutes. set a timer because 3 minutes might be a little longer than you think.

add the eggs one at a time until fully combined. turn speed down to low so you don’t get blasted with flour.

add part of the flour > part of the sour cream > part of the flour > sour cream > part of the flour. stir by hand to make sure that it’s all mixed together. stir in the chocolate chips.

pour batter in to muffin tins almost to the top of the tin. bake for about 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean in the center. rotate muffins halfway through the baking.

remove muffins from tin and cool on a wire rack. once they are cool enough to handle but still warm,  dunk in the melted butter and roll in the sugar mixture. allow to fully cool and enjoy! these are best the day of but are good for about 2 days.