When you need a dose of double-chocolate goodness, these quick, fuss-free chocolate chip muffins are the answer to a late-evening craving, or perhaps, an alternative to healthier breakfast fare (a morning sugar boost won't hurt every now and then). For these sweet and lovely domes, I referenced Alison Lewis's "Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Muffins" post over at Ingredientsinc.net. Given that this was a last-minute (i.e. lazy) undertaking, I skipped the second bowl that called for one to mix the wet ingredients in, and happily dumped the milk, sour cream, oil, egg and vanilla as I measured each one into the waiting bowl of flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, sugar, and chocolate chips. I did whisk the dry ingredients together first to ensure even distribution of baking powder, which gives muffins their trademark shape.
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons best quality cocoa powder
[if your cocoa has been sitting in the pantry for a while, do heaping tablespoons and slightly lessen flour]
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons canola oil [I skipped the extra oil]
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, sugar, and chocolate chips into a large bowl.
3. Combine milk, sour cream, oil, egg and vanilla in a separate bowl. [Or, as I did, quickly measure each wet ingredient and add to flour mixture.] Combine the flour mixture and milk mixture, mixing until lumpy. Spoon into lightly greased muffin pans [I used cupcake liners]. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips on top, if desired.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until the muffins are dark and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
If there's one thing that I love about New York City weekend brunches is the availability of Eggs Norwegian—a delicious take on the classic Eggs Benedict: two poached eggs over a bed of Canadian bacon and two slices of English muffins, all drizzled with creamy hollandaise sauce. The former replaces the bacon with smoked salmon. Rabbit Hole Restaurant in Brooklyn used to be a favorite destination for this, and Smorgas Chef at the Scandinavia House in midtown Manhattan serves up an excellent plate of this perfectly poached combo.
I began the weekend with my first foray into making this dish from scratch, referencing three recipes in the process:
1) English Muffins
These take a while to make (because the recipe calls for yeast and 'resting' time), so I opted for breakfast biscuits. My go-to are Ina Garten's, which I'd blogged about here, but I knew I was topping this dish with the caloric-bomb that is hollandaise, so I searched for a low-fat alternative. Ellie Krieger's Chicken and Biscuit Pot Pie Recipe on Foodnetwork.com yielded the crumby, scone-like discs that hold well enough to sop up delicious runny yolks on the plate. They also pair excellently with orange marmalade. By the way, I skipped the oil called for in the recipe, and also used regular all-purpose flour all the way.
2) Poached Eggs
This is hands-down the smartest, easiest way to poach eggs, discovered online by my husband! The following video shows you the "Sous Vide" method—unbelievable and ridiculously simple: First, brush on oil over a large square of cling wrap. Add your favorite seasonings—salt, pepper, and some herbs if you like. Next, place the plastic over a small saucer and drop an egg in. Gather the wrap around the egg and secure it with a piece of string (and now that I think about it, you can even knot the little parcel on top if you have enough room). Drop the egg in simmering water and cook for exactly three minutes. Surprisingly, the plastic wrap doesn't melt and instead, yields the perfect texture and consistency: firm whites encasing soupy yolks. Yum!
3) Hollandaise Sauce
Ahh... The pièce de résistance. Truth be told, it's highly probable that one of the reasons I even got out of bed on Saturday morning to build brunch from scratch is the thought of finally whipping up my first batch of this rich, decadent concoction/emulsion consisting of nothing but egg yolks, melted butter, lemon juice, and a dash of salt and cayenne pepper. It's no wonder that many have been known to approach the subject with trepidation—for one, there's a risk of the eggs scrambling before they become silken; for another, there is the issue of consuming pure yellow cholesterol. That said, everything in moderation makes life pleasant. And, if you set a glass bowl over simmering water—yes, the same one you just used to poach eggs—and whisk happily, while setting the bowl over the counter when things get too hot, you'll top off a great brunch with one of the most decadent sauces known to man. For this, I referenced Tyler Florence's recipe, also on Foodnetwork.com.
Perfectly drizzled with fresh, creamy hollandaise. Mmm...
Other notes:
- The smoked salmon is from Trader Joe's. The only other place that sells it for a reasonable dollar amount is Ikea.
- A biscuit slice slathered with orange marmalade provides a tangy-sweet contrast to the salty-creamy eggs.
- Restos usually add on a side of greens or some form of vegetable. You'll need it, to help justify the hollandaise :)
I like how the following infographic from Wine.com looks like the art from one of my favorite shows, Good Eats. It even resembles the art/approach Alton Brown uses in his books. As for wine itself, although it's not something that's always on the dinner menu (I mostly prefer to get my extra calories from dessert), I do have an appreciation for a nice glass of Merlot or Shiraz, or a cool Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, or even a good Riesling or Muscato. Come to think of it, given the right setting—e.g. a restaurant in Napa Valley—wine is definitely in order.
One of the most delicious ways one can start the weekend is by baking a fresh batch of warm, buttermilk biscuits. I've made this recipe by Ina Garten, Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits, countless times in Denver, and in Manila, had gone with my modified version, Calamansi-milk Breakfast Biscuits (which were featured in Yummy Magazine's website before the reformat). Today was the first time I've ever made them here in New York.
Best served with orange marmalade.
It's an easy recipe that you can make by hand should you wish to skip the mixer. I like either method and both yield the same buttery, flaky results. Here's a tip though: You don't actually need to buy buttermilk. The quickest, easiest substitute is adding about a teaspoon of lemon juice to regular milk, swirling it around, and letting it sit until it's time to pour it onto the flour mixture (don't forget to beat in the egg before that though).
And, once you get past the thought of cutting calorie-laden butter through flour, salt, and baking powder, you'll rarely ever go for store-bought
biscuits again!
The recipe calls for egg wash—a mixture of one egg and one tablespoon of milk—which you'll brush along the tops of the biscuits before popping them inside the oven.
If you're making scrambled eggs anyway, just use your usual eggs-and-milk-in-a-bowl combo before cooking in the pan.
