Chocolate Streusel Muffins

Rich, chocolatey goodness.  A perfect start to any day!
For my daughter's birthday weekend, I needed to plan some breakfasts that she'd really enjoy.  We had to get an early start on one of those mornings, so I wanted to make muffins (since they can be done the night before).  For reasons completely unknown to me, my daughter does not like fruit.  Chocolate, however, is definitely something she can get on board with.  A picture leapt to mind - a big chocolate muffin, moist, tender, topped with crumbly delicious streusel.  Mmmm!  A little girl's dream breakfast come true.
The problem was, I didn't have a recipe for chocolate muffins.  Upon scouring the internet, what I found were mostly repurposed cupcakes.  And no streusel.  Time for some digging.
What I ended up with were adaptations of a muffin recipe from King Arthur Flour and a glorious streusel from Rick Bayless (posted on girlichef.com).
Chocolate perfection!

Chocolate Streusel Muffins

Muffin adapted from King Arthur Flour

Streusel adapted from Rick Bayless

Ingredients:

Streusel -

4.5 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped or chips

1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp egg yolk (beat the yolk, then measure)

3 1/2 tbsp butter, softened and cut into 1" pieces

Muffins -

1 3/4 cups flour

2/3 cups Dutch-process cocoa powder, measured and then sifted

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup milk

1 tsp instant coffee

2 eggs, beaten

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp white vinegar

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)

Directions:

1.  For the Streusel: place the chocolate in the small bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until ground to coarse crumbs.  Add the flour and cinnamon and pulse to combine.  Add the yolk and butter.  Process until the mixture comes together and begins to form clumps.

2.  Pour the mixture into a small bowl.  Mix briefly with your fingers to form large clumps.  Cover and chill until ready to use.

3.  For the Muffins: line cupcake pans with 18 muffin papers.  Preheat the oven to 400°.

4.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt (make sure to break up any sugar lumps).  Set aside.

5.  In a large measuring cup, stir the milk and coffee crystals together.  Add the eggs, vanilla, and vinegar.  Whisk until thoroughly blended.

6.  Whisk the melted butter into the milk mixture.

7.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry along with the chocolate chips.  Stir until the dry ingredients are just incorporated - do not overmix.

8.  Fill the muffin papers halfway up with batter.  Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the tops (about 1 rounded tbsp per muffin).

9.  Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (you may need to test more than once as sticking a chocolate chips with skew the results).

10.  Let the muffins cool for about two minutes.  Transfer the muffins to a rack to cool.  Serve!

Caesar Roll Ups

Like gladiators with their Roman helmets!
A classic Caesar salad, transformed into a scrumptious tortilla roll up!

Caesar Roll Ups

Katie Christy

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh bread crumbs (aprx 1 slice white bread pulsed to course crumbs in a food processor)

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp minced garlic

1/16 tsp salt

10 tbsp Caesar dressing

1 cup of shredded Romaine lettuce

8 flour tortillas, softened

8 tbsp grated Parmesan

16 slices deli thin-sliced chicken lunchmeat

Directions:

1.  If you are in a hurry, you can crush premade croutons (garlic or Parmesan flavor) to get about 8 tbsp of coarse crumbs.  If you do this, skip the next step.

2.  Toss the bread crumbs with the olive oil, garlic, and salt in a large skillet.  Set the pan over medium heat.  Cook, stirring often, until the crumbs are toasted and crisp - like tiny croutons.  Transfer the crumbs to a plate to keep them from overcooking in the hot pan.

3.  Toss 2 tbsp of the dressing with the Romaine.  Set aside.

4.  Spread 1 tbsp of the dressing evenly onto a tortilla, leaving a 1/2" border around the outside.

5.  Evenly sprinkle 1 tbsp of the breadcrumbs and 1 tbsp of the Parmesan over the dressing.

6.  Overlap two slices of the chicken to fit on the tortilla, running horizontally, on the edge closest to you.

7.  Place about 2 tbsp of the Romaine in the center of the chicken, running horizontally.

8.  Tightly roll the tortilla, starting with the edge closest to you (so the lettuce will be in the center).

9.  Repeat Steps 4-8 with the remaining ingredients.

10.  Serve as a roll or slice, secure with toothpicks, and serve as spirals!

Caesar Dressing

One of my husband's favorite salads is the Caesar.  A perfect blend of crunchy Romaine, robust Parmesan, and garlicky croutons, all topped with a deliciously creamy dressing.  It's a salad fit for...a Caesar!
Because it is my husband's favorite, I decided it was high time that I came up with a great recipe for him.  The dressing is the make or break element in this salad.  There are a so many variations out there that it might seem overwhelming - you might be tempted to just go buy a bottle.  Well - don't!  
Caesar dressing is actually quite simple to make and homemade tastes so much better than store-bought.  There are a couple important things to know.  First, fresh lemon juice is a must.  Neither bottled lemon nor vinegar give the right flavor.  Second, real Caesar dressing has anchovies.  I know what you might be thinking - yuck, right?  Not at all - you truly cannot taste them.  But you will miss them if they're gone.
So, next time you're in a salad mood, why not give the classic Caesar a try?  It will be all the more delectable with this fabulous dressing that you made with your own two hands!

Caesar Dressing

Katie Christy

Ingredients:

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp mustard powder

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/4 tsp anchovy paste (you can sub Worcestershire sauce)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Salt

Directions:

1.  In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, black pepper, and mustard powder.  Stir in the lemon juice.  Stir in the garlic and anchovy paste.  Stir in the mayonnaise until smooth and well blended.  Stir in the Parmesan.

2.  Taste the dressing.  Add salt to taste (I added 1/8 tsp).

3.  Cover and chill until ready to use.  The dressing can be served immediately, but is even better if you let it rest for an hour.