Mocha Crunch Muffins

What?!?!  Cake for breakfast!?  My favorite!  These muffins are packed with decadent coco-espresso fuel and have plenty of guilt-deducting fiber and protein in the form of oats and walnuts.  Don’t forget~ premium chocolate is also a noteworthy source of iron.  That has to count for something, right!?

My folks flew in for the holidays and I made this batter up 2 days in advance.  It keeps really well in the fridge for up to a week – great for baking the perfect number of muffins on demand each morning.  Fair warning- keep out of reach of young children. My nephews came for a visit just as I was pulling these from the oven and after just a small bite they took off like rockets down Newbury Street…I am seeking a similar impact as an adult so consider yourself warned!

INGREDIENTS

DRY:

1/3 cup Coco Powder (I love Lake Champlain Baking Chocolate…one of the best finds from my 4 years at UVM!)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 1/4 cups Quaker rolled oats

WET:

3 large eggs

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted (I like Land O’Lakes)

1 cup buttermilk

1 Tbs espresso powder (or instant coffee, in a jam), dissolved in 1/2 cup boiling water

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips (I love Ghirardelli Semi Sweet!)

1 cup walnuts, chopped

sunflower seeds and sugar for sprinkling on top

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 350.  Line a muffin tray with paper muffin cups and brush top surface with vegetable oil.
• In a large bowl, sift together dry ingredients and blend in oats
• In a deep medium bowl, whisk together eggs, butter, buttermilk, espresso mixture and vanilla.
• Pour wet ingredient mixture over the dry ingredients and gently combine, toss in chocolate chips and walnuts. Be careful not to over mix!
• Spoon mixture into muffin cups 3/4+ full.  Sprinkle with sunflower seeds and sugar.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Let cool for 10 minutes before serving!

*If making in advance, store batter in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.  Let batter come slightly to room temp before tossing in the oven.