CAPPUCCINO MUFFINS (adapted from recipezaar.com)

This is the second batch of muffins made today, and definitely my favorite. This is recipe #4156 on Recipe Zaar, where Marg (Cayman Designs) declares them "phenomenal." The recipe includes a spread, but I just went with the pure muffin. It can definitely stand alone. I just love the flavorings of this muffin: the coffee, the Kahlua I added and the cinnamon in just the right amounts. And it's light and moist. One of my neighbors came over while I was baking and asked if he could sample. I gave him a piece of one of the Bisquick cappuccino muffins and a piece of one of these. He bought a half-dozen on the spot, so I guess I will just have to bake more. Interestingly, he bought 2 of the Bisquick and 4 of these. He said he liked both, he just liked this one better. I hope that is a good omen for my sale on Saturday.

Cappuccino Muffins (adapted from recipezaar.com)

INGREDIENTS: 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1-1/2 sticks)

3 cups all-purpose flour (aerate by whisking before measuring)

1 cup sugar

3-3/4 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

6 oz. container fat-free vanilla yogurt + enough milk to make 1-1/2 cups

3 Tbsp. instant coffee (decaf is ok) or instant Espresso powder (I used Folger's Decaf)

2 Tbsp. coffee brandy (such as Kahlua) (I used Sambroso, a generic)

1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

1-1/4 cups chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS: Have all ingredients ar room temperature before starting. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Microwave butter on high in medium-sized bowl till almost melted, about 1-1/2 minutes. Prepare muffin tins by greasing and flouring, or spray with flour-added non-stick cooking spray.

Measure all dry ingredients into large mixing bowl (Note: Spoon flour lightly into measuring cup after first aerating the flour by whisking it. Muffins need a light hand, not only in the mixing, but also in the measuring of the flour. You will be rewarded with light and delicious muffins.) To the now somewhat-cooled melted butter, add the egg and whisk till mixture is smooth, a few minutes. (The butter should not be blistering hot or it will cook the egg, but it's ok if it's warm.) Add the rest of the ingredients except for the chocolate chips and whisk until well combined, several minutes. (A good-quality whisk is definitely needed for this. A spatula or mixing spoon will not give you superior results.) Now make a well in the dry ingredients and all at once add the liquids. Barely whisk it together -- as few turns of the whisk as possible. Don't worry about lumps and don't worry if you see a little flour here and there. Now add the chocolate chips. Dump them in, and just give one quick light stir. Put 1/4 cup batter into each muffin tin well. Place muffins in oven and immediately reduce heat to 400 for shiny pans and 375 for dark or coated pans. Bake for 14-17 minutes, checking at 14 minutes. A toothpick inserted in center should come out almost clean. Remove muffins to counter and leave in pans to cool for 5 minutes. At the end of 5 minutes, muffins should release easily. Continue cooling on wire racks. Yield: 18 muffins. Freeze any muffins that will not be eaten the day you bake them.