Autumn Leaves, Bare Feet, and Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins

Okay, so I'm out on my porch taking pictures of my feet. Not really, but the explanation makes almost as much sense as that.

I read in a fellow blogger's post that natural light is best if you can time your shots to take advantage of it. By the time I get home from work, especially at this time of year, it's already too dark in the kitchen to take pics that look even remotely recognizable. I mean, these shots are not exactly high-tech, high quality anyway---so I've been taking the plated food out to my front porch where there's still enough indirect light to take pics.

And my feet got in the way.

Or maybe it was the maple leaves.

So here it is---
Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins
(adapted from Bunny's Warm Oven, who adapted it from Recipezaar)

Ingredients:

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese
1 egg
1/2 Cup sugar
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips*

Cake:
1 1/2 C. flour
1 C. sugar
1/4 C. baking cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C. water **
5 Tbsp. vegetable oil***
1 tsp. vinegar ****
1 Tbsp. vanilla

Directions:

Filling:
Beat together cream cheese, egg and sugar until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips and set aside.

Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour muffin pan.
Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add remaining ingredients. Mix until batter is of smooth consistency.

Spoon 1/4 C. batter into each muffin cup. Dab on rounded teaspoons of filling close to the edges of each muffin.

Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes before removing from muffin pan.



*I've gotten inordinately fond of Nestle's chocolate chunks so that's what I used; also added somewhat more than the suggested 6 oz, I'm afraid.


**I used milk

*** I used canola oil.

****omitted the vinegar and didn't notice any lack of it in the taste of these little gems.


I found these to be delightful: moist and chewy, with those tasty little chocolate hunks mingling with the cream cheese flavor--a double dose of 'mmmmm'.

I will admit that despite my best attempts, they don't photograph well. There's a certain lack of aesthetic whateveryoucallit that doesn't translate well onto paper, er, monitor. That said, be assured that they taste way better than they look!

This recipe is a keeper.