My kids love these muffins, I think for the name more than anything else, although they are quite tasty and easy to whip-up. Once again, this is an Anne Byrn recipe, this time from “Cupcakes from the Cake Mix Doctor“. After I make a batch, I wrap them in plastic wrap, bag the plastic wrapped muffins in zip-top sandwich bags and then store those in a larger freezer bag in the freezer. (I save all the bags to reuse, so I’m not wasting those, either.) I’ll put the plastic-wrapped muffiin in the kids’ lunches occasionally and by lunch-time, they’re thawed and ready to eat. I’ve found that they stay good this way for up to a couple of months. The kids enjoy the treat and it’s easy and economical for me to make a big batch of these at once. Plus, I have to admit that I enjoy them with my morning coffee every now and then.
Big Bad Chocolate Muffins (adapted slightly from the Cake Mix Doctor)
1 pkg. (18.25 ounces) plain devil’s food cake mix (when Anne state “plain”, she means without pudding in the mix, i.e. Duncan Hines or Kroger store-brand, etc.)
1 pkg. (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix
3/4 Cup (6 ounces) of sour cream
3/4 Cup water
1/2 Cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. real vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 Cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line 18-24 muffin cups, set aside. Place cake mix and pudding mix in large bowl and make a well in the center. Place sour cream, water, oil, vanilla and eggs in a small bowl and mix together. Pour the wet mixture into the well of the cake/pudding mix and stir to combine, about thirty strokes. (You don’t want to over-mix.) Pour in the chocolate chips and fold into mixture, about ten more strokes. The batter will not be smooth, but that’s okay – these are muffins, not cake. Scoop batter (I use an ice cream scoop) into muffin cups, about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until tops of muffins spring back when lightly pressed. Don’t over-bake or you will end-up with tough muffins. Cool on a rack and enjoy!
