Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Pumpkin.

There is something so cozy, yummy, and wonderful about pumpkin - not just food wise.

I LOVE when candles, coffee, ice cream, scones, decorations, and all other sorts of items break out in pumpkin pandamonium. It makes my heart (and tummy) happy.

I just love pumpkin! 

So, of course I had a hankering to bake something pumpkin-y.

But what was I going to pair it with...??
Maple, cream cheese, chocolate, caramel, oats..... and so many more options.
 I kept coming back to chocolate...
You see, I'm not just a huge pumpkin fan, I'm also a chocoholic who refuses to get help... I just keep feeding the crazy. 

(Besides, studies show 1-2 oz. of dark chocolate a day actually keep a person healthier... so who am I to argue with the facts.)

Anywho...

I searched a bunch of blogs for inspiration, and I stumbled upon this little gem of a recipe on Two Peas and Their Pod. They had a couple pumpkin/chocolate options, but I landed on the Pumpkin Chocolate chip bread.
But, I did tweak the recipe a bit, 'cuz I can't help myself...
...and the result was mouth-watering goodness.
So naturally, I want to share with you lovelies! :)

So.... drumroll please.... well, do the drumroll noise in your head, since I can't make it for you to hear.
..................................................................
I give you moist, light, delicious, cozy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins!

First: Make sure you have all your ingredients (and the amount you need) on hand and ready to go... silly advice? No... there have been so many times I start a recipe and realize I'm missing one important ingredient, which sends me to the store looking like a disheveled mess... so, make sure you have everything ready so the process is smooth and frazzle-less. 

In one bowl, combine your flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt - mix with a whisk so it's all combined completely. In your second bowl, combine your sugar, pumpkin puree, oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk - mix until you have a nice, thin liquid batter. Since I had put my dry ingredients in the bigger bowl, I added the pumpkin mixture to the dry, which is opposite the recipe instructions.
What can I say, I'm a rebel at heart.

Make sure you scrape the bottom completely - mix batter until completely combined. Fold in chocolate chips at this point.

 I had two muffin pans ready to go, and used an ice cream scooper to get a consistent amount in each muffin liner. With the leftover batter, I decided to make a little loaf in my stone loaf pan.
Throw all three pans into the oven (put the muffin tins on the top rack and loaf on bottom) and bake for about 25-30 mins and test with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out with gooey business on it, bake for another 10 mins. If it comes out with a crumb or two attached, pull the muffins out and transfer to cooling racks so they don't continue to bake.
Move the loaf to the top rack and continue to bake for another 15-20 mins. Repeat toothpick test with loaf.

Once they're cooled, enjoy the amazing fall treat you just created.
You'll be in pumpkin-chocolate heaven! :D

Enjoy your pumpkin-y fall!!
.xoxo.
kylie rae

Recipe:

Oven: 350° F

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 (15 oz.) can 100% pure Pumpkin

1 cup canola oil

2/3 cups buttermilk (I just add 1/4 lemon juice to whole milk, let stand for 15 mins to curdle)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (but really, you can use any type of chocolate you want - be it a gourmet chocolate bar, just smash it into chunks... and you most definitely can use more than 1 cup if you like, I did) ;)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven. Spray loaf pan with cooking spray and fill muffin pans with liners.
2) In large bowl whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Set aside
3) In a medium bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, canola oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and eggs. Mix until smooth.
4) Add pumpkin mix to flour mix and gently mix together until completely combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
5) Scoop mixture into muffin liners. Add left-over batter to loaf pan.
6) Bake for 30-45 mins (but don't forget to toothpick test), or until browned and toothpick comes out clean. Remove from pans and onto a cooling rack - let them sit for at least 15 minutes so you don't burn your mouth.
7) Enjoy!! And share the wealth since this recipe does yield a good amount of muffins/bread :)

S'mores Cookie Bars!!

I've had a hankering to make S'mores... so as I was perusing the lovely, wise web I stumbled upon this amazing recipe for a S'mores cookie bar...

OH. MY. APPLE PIE. 

Mrs. S'mores and Mr. Cookie got together and made this beautiful creation. 

Pure genius.

So, like any rational person would do, I went straight home to make this amazing goodness - forgo dinner, laundry, cleaning or any other necessary task... this cookie business is going down, tonight.

Luckily I had almost all the ingredients already in stock... minus the chocolate bars and marshmallow fluff. 

Preheated Oven to 350°F 

Beat butter and sugar in mixer till combined and lighter in color

Add vanilla and egg, mix on medium speed till combined

In a separate bowl, mix flour, graham cracker crumbs, salt, and baking powder... then add to the butter mixture. Mix on low until the mixture begins to combine (otherwise, you & all of your kitchen are going to be looking a little powder-y...), then bump speed up to medium until it forms a cookie-like dough.

Divide cookie dough into two equal parts. Press one half into the bottom of your greased pan to have an even cookie base.

Then add your marshmallow fluff, and place chocolate bars on top... even though my pictures will contradict what I'm typing. My fluff grew like marshmallows on 'roids...no joke. But, whatever works for me might not work for you... so find what way works perfectly for you and run with it. Lovin' from the Oven has the chocolate down first, then layer on the marshmallows... but my creation didn't like me enough to let me to do that.... but everyone's baking experience is different, right?

Or I'm just extra special... =/

Put the 2nd half of the cookie dough on top... and I added some chocolate chips on one half to appease the chocolate monster in me... sometimes I just can't help myself.

Bake it for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Here's a picture of the crazy marshmallow debacle:

I told you.

Marshmallows on steroids...

They tasted redunkulous none the less...but when your food goes crazy on you, it doesn't always make "pretty" pics easy... 

Let them cool for a bit (or attack them the instant they're out... you're choice)...

Then cut, plate and enjoy the gooey deliciousness you just created. You'll thank me...

Enjoy! 

.xoxo.

Recipe (via: Lovin' from the Oven):

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)
• 1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.
3. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles and laying them together).
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

* Just a little forewarning: I used all 7oz. of my marshmallow fluff since the recipe called for 1.5 cups... and I put it on top of the chocolate bars (as you'll see in photos below) as the recipe directs (and the whole time, my pastry chef instinct was yelling "NO!" at me... anywho, the m. fluff puffed like a mad man... so my advice, do half of the marshmallow fluff and put it on the bottom cookie dough and place chocolate bars on top...it'll make spreading the cookie dough on top easier. But overall, do whatever works best for you, each person accomplishes a recipe differently.