Dark Chocolate Muffins

We needed some more muffins in the house for breakfast.  I was trying to find a recipe with ingredients that I already had in the house.  I normally try not to do chocolate, especially in the morning.  But I saw this recipe and the ingredients were so unusual I had to try it.  The original recipe was made with mini muffins.  But I went the regular muffin route. This recipe used no eggs and had molasses and balsamic vinegar in the ingredient list.  Interesting, right?!  Overall, they weren't too bad.  Not a favorite but good.  I could taste hints of the molasses in the muffin.  They are best warm right out of the oven.  They lost their moistness as the days went by.

Dark Chocolate Muffins
from Carrie's Sweet Life

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon molasses
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate pieces

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Coat muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In a bowl combine flour, sugars, cocoa powder, soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside. In another bowl combine milk, applesauce, oil, molasses, vinegar, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Stir in half the chocolate pieces.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate pieces. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes for mini or about 15 minutes for regular muffins or until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups; serve warm.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.