Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Muffins

I'm back in my beloved home after an awesome one week holiday in sunny egypt (have got a detailed post on that up soon)and the only thing I've really done since returning is: SLEEP!
Not that I haven't got enough during long hours spent on the lounger at the pool, but the rainy weather and the small jetlag (to be true it's only an hour, yes, you may laugh about it but I'll respect it either way because that's the longest jetlag I've ever got :D) have done the rest and I spent yesterday doing nearly nothing.

As sad as I am about not having a sunny, 24 °C day here, I'm happy to finally have my home kitchen around: the stovetop and oven just waiting to be all heated up again and help creating wonderful foods.



To get back in the swing of whirling around between fruit, veggies, flour, and spices I've opted for some simple Chocolate Chip Muffins, healthified with whole wheat flour, apples and yoghurt, evolving into bakery style high domed tops: perfect for the coming relaxed holiday mornings, with a good cuppa coffee and a magazine at the side. I just love homemade muffins as an indulgent yet easily lightened up indulgent breakfast treat. We're not talking cupcakes but real MUFFINS here.



I think we've all had that perfect bakery muffin: loaded with sugar, totally moist but with a nice, slightly crunch and skyhigh domed top, studded with chocolate chips or blueberries or appleslices (whichever you prefer) and big enough to feed a whole family (but, no we'd go ahead and have it all on our own just to feel soooo full afterwards, lesson learned..). Those are by no question totally awesome! Sorry little cupcakes, for breakfast muffins always win.

They are bigger, not frosted (nothing to say against a good slather of cream cheese frosting or similar, but the paper wrapped goodness won't need it) and in total just heartier - hello, you can even have some with streusel on top!! So who's not grapping one with the to-go coffe while being in a morning rush or to serve for at a lovely brunch with friends?
 Like most times homemade can get this awesomeness just a little more awesome-ny (okay, that's not really a word, but I think you get the picture). The whole wheat in combination with some oats makes you feel full for longer, the apples provide all the fruit-y goodness and the chocolate... Oh you won't really need an explanation for that, he?!

They are whipped up within an hour, start to finish - perfect to bake on a lazy weekend and freeze up, to grab and go during the just-five-more-minutes week mornings or just cooling down, right out of the oven for a relaxed holiday morning (possible New Year's Breakfast!).



Most importantly: they're simple. After all the weeks of baking cookies for christmas with partly exhausting (yet totally rewarding) long baking procedures I'm so happy to whip something up with pantry staples, basic ingredients: simple, pure, essential. It calms one's nerves in this stressful time "between the years" and gives you the possibility of taking a moment to rest, breath deeply and nibble through all the chocolate chips before you return to New Years Eve preperations, work or whatever the heck you've got to do :).



I baked some of the dough in a mini-muffin tin, so you can enjoy two or three instead of just one (hehe, smart mind, I know, I know :-P). So now go ahead, make these and serve them for breakfast for holiday guests or family - you won't regret it (and neither does your belly :))! In this way: have a happy and save New Year's Eve, celebrate with your loved ones and start into a happy 2014 filled with joy and happiness - may you achieve all your goals! :)

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Muffins 
- makes approximately 12 regular or 26 mini sized Muffins
- 2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
- 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 Tbsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 Pinch Salt
- 2/3 cup Sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup Yogurt
- 2 Tbsp Milk
- 1/2 cup Applesauce
- 2 Tbsp Butter or Oil
- 150g dark chocolate chunks

1. Preheat your oven to 425 °F/225 °C. Grease or line your muffin tin with parchment paper. Mix together both flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a seperate bowl beat together egg and sugar, then add in the yogurt, applesauce and butter. Gently fold in the wet ingredients into the dry, gently adding the chocolate chips when only some flour isn't mixed in - be careful to not overmix! It will resemble in a really sticky wet dough, don't be worried, this is why the muffins will get such high tops.
2. Scoop the batter into your muffin tins until each one is filled about 2/3 (or preferably a little higher) and put it in the oven at 425 °C for 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 375 °C for further 15-20 minutes. Take out, let cool and enjoy!
 
Illustrated Version: