Do you love muffins as much as I do? I think a muffin and a cup of coffee is such a morning treat and these chewy Crispy Top Orange Chocolate Muffins put a whole new spin on breakfast. Yes, I know that smoothie bowls and protein shakes are healthy and even (sometimes) delicious, but life is short (I know that now that I am getting older) and a muffin breakfast now and then is required. For a good outlook on life, for a good start to the day, and for a smile a minute. And, think about Mother’s Day Brunch! Also, bridal and baby showers! You even can make these in a mini version if you prefer bite-sized muffins.
So, how did these amazing Orange Chocolate Muffins come about exactly? It’s a funny story. Most muffin recipes I make have 3 eggs. But, it just so happens that today I ran out of eggs and only had 2. I was hanging out with my wonderful granddaughter today and she was napping. So, there was no way I was going to get another egg. Since I had already creamed the butter and sugar, 2 eggs it had to be. Then I cut down a bit on the flour so the batter wouldn’t be too thick, and voila! The crispiest topped muffins I have ever made.
Fortunately, the tops were all nice and crispy delicious but the Orange Chocolate Muffins stayed all soft, moist and had just a bit of fluff. I baked the muffins using a modification of the very scientific and well-thought out process developed by Tessa of Handle the Heat. She figured out that baking the muffins first at a pretty high heat for 5 minutes then immediately lowering the heat gave the muffins a great texture. I completely agree, and will always use this genius tip from now on. I didn’t heat the oven as high as Tessa did only because I had the chocolate chips on top and thought they would burn. With blueberries, as she makes them, they are perfect at a higher heat. So read all about the science of muffin baking on Tessa’s great blog!
Orange and chocolate is an amazing combination, especially for breakfast. Well…a tart or souffle or cookie wouldn’t be too bad either! If you make these Orange Chocolate Muffins with their delicious crispy tops, please let me know how you like them and show them to me on Instagram @metirementblog. I would love to see how they came out. Crispy is in. Soft and soggy is out.
Crispy Top Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins
These Orange Chocolate Muffins have the chewiest tops you have ever seen but the muffin stays tender and moist! Cooked first at high temperature for five minutes, these babies get all brown and crispy and then they surprise you at the end with their wonderful texture! Try them and you will never go back to baking muffins the old fashioned way!
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure orange extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream reduced fat or full fat only
- 1/4 cup orange juice concentrate thawed
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips divided
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place 18 paper liners in muffin pans and spray them with cooking spray.
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Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, then add the orange and vanilla extracts, the sour cream, and orange juice concentrate. In a separate bowl with a fork, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed gradually add the flour mixture to the batter and beat until just mixed. Do not overmix. Fold in 1 ½ cups chocolate chips with a spatula until they are incorporated.
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Scoop the batter evenly into the paper liners, filling each cup just to the top. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the muffins. Bake at 425 degrees F for FIVE minutes only. Lower the heat to 400 degrees and bake for 25 minutes, until the muffins are browned on top and a cake tester comes out clean.
