Happy Friday Mini Muffins

I decided to take a Happy Friday treat in to work this week...on Friday of course. I decided to make some mini muffins. Who doesn't love super cute and yummy bites of muffiny goodness? I wanted to make two kinds, to give my lovely co-workers a little variety in their lives. The first kind I made were mocha chip (made with whole wheat flour), and cinnamon chip (which called for baking mix, and all I had was Bisquick, so no whole grains there...) Both were delicious and got eaten in record time. I left five of the cinnamon chip muffins on the cooling rack for my husband to eat when he got home from work, and they were gone when I got home. He loved them! I might change the mocha chip recipe and substitute more white whole wheat flour for the oats...I found that the chewiness of the oats distracted from the moist, dense texture of the rest of the muffins. I would like to try the cinnamon chip muffins with a whole grain recipe, because they had a wonderful flavor and cinnamon chips are very tasty! (I got my cinnamon chips from King Arthur Flour.)

Cafe Mocha Mini Muffins from the Taste of Home website
2 tsp instant coffee granules
1/3 cup boiling water
1/4 cup quick cooking oats
3 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:
In a small bowl, dissolve coffee granules in water. Stir in the oats; set aside. In a small bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Beat in reserved oat mixture. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; add to oat mixture. Stir in 1/3 cup chocolate chips.
Fill greased mini muffin cups 3/4 full. Sprinkle with remaining mini chips. Bake at 350* for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Yield: 18 mini muffins


Cinnamon Chip Mini Muffins from the Hershey's website (though I didn't use Hershey's cinnamon chips...)
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose biscuit baking mix
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup cinnamon chips
2/3 cup milk

Directions:
Heat oven to 350*F. Grease a mini muffin pan, or two if you have two of them. Stir together the baking mix, sugar, vegetable oil, egg, cinnamon chips, and milk in a medium bowl - just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes in the pan, then remove to cool completely on wire rack.

Yield: 32 mini muffins