Callie is a special person to me. She was my first official helper/confidante/friend, and I'd always get a little uncomfortable acknowledging her as an employee. Can't she just be my super helpful friend whom I pay? "My friend Callie just loves grocery shopping, you guys. I'm just providing an outlet for her passion." I've known her forever, as the little sister of one of my sister's classmates, and when she Facebook messaged me two years ago asking if I needed an intern…I didn't really know what to think. So I invited her over to investigate this intern business, and we ended up spending the whole time talking about stroopwafel and cappuccino muffins. She had just spent a semester and change abroad in Amersterdam, and returned with a passion for all things baked, warm, gooey, and sprinkled in cinnamon. I'm pretty sure I just described the inside of Callie's soul, forgetting to mention of course the "and everything nice" quotient.
I would constantly tease Callie that she coos like a baby when she laughs (she does), may or may not have been a fluffy bunny in her former life, and would mercilessly question her love of oatmeal. I understand liking it, but loving? We spent a year in the kitchen, testing, tasting, devouring, and laughing, listening to her really reeeeaaaaalllllly mellow singer/song writer, possible banjo, boy/girl duet music. Imagine Sarah McLachlan + The Civil Wars + Muscle Relaxers. And of course, now that she's a college grad, living the bohemian life of a young twenty-something in Pasadena, having parted professional ways, I now decide to make those cappuccino muffins. They were warm, sweet, and chocolate chip studded, just like Callie's heart.
So these little muffins are dedicated to one of my favorite persons, and friends, Miss Callie. xoxox
For 12 cupcake sized muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons espresso powder
4 oz unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Pre heat oven to 375 F
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, combine milk and coffee granules until coffee is dissolved. Add the butter, egg and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
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