Chocolate Chip Muffins [Little Bit More Than A Basic]

Before T went to bed last night he requested muffin for breakfast, almost mid-night project for me again. Baked some chocolate chip muffins with a basic muffin recipe I always used, and with mixing method it was quick and easy to prepare. Yes, it was quiet too. No one likes noise pollution from a hand mixer at 11pm.

I still remember the very first muffin I baked when I just picked up baking was a vanilla muffin. I was a newbie then always settled for recipes with less ingredients. I did not even know what tepid water was! Perhaps, I can move myself up to Intermediate Level in baking now after five years of baking. Any comments?

Calories: 285 cals/muffin

Ingredients (makes 6 muffins):
1 cup All-purpose Flour, sifted
½ cup Fine Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
¼ tsp Salt (omit salt if using salted butter)
1 no. Large Egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
½ cup Buttermilk
¼ cup Butter, melted

½ cup Chocolate Chips

Methods:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a muffin tray with paper cases.
2. In a large mixing bowl, bring all dry ingredients together EXCEPT chocolate chips and mix well with a whisk.
3. Make a well in the centre, add in wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
4. Add in chocolate chips, mix briefly. Transfer batter into muffin cases, 90% full.
5. Fill an empty mould half full with water.
6. Bake at 200°C for seven minutes, then turn the oven temperature down to 170°C and continue to bake for another 15-18 minutes.
7. Cool on rack.

Cook's Notes:

1. For buttermilk substitution, mix ½ tbsp white vinegar with enough full cream milk to make ½ cup.
2. Higher temperature at the beginning of baking process helps to produce dome top muffins.
3. This muffin is quite sweet to me but just nice to T, reduce amount of sugar if desired.