I don't get tired of muffins...

and I do find inspiration in them...

Whenever I miss the simple act of mixing flour, eggs, sugar and butter in a mixing bowl, the image of a tray of freshly baked muffins would jump out from behind the back of my mind. There is always a muffin recipe waiting for me to explore; and I have never seems to be short of any of the basic ingredients that is called for...be it flour, eggs, milk, sugar and vegetable oil. There is always a bag of left over chocolate chips, some left over dried fruits, walnuts, hidden somewhere in my fridge (^_^").

Oh yes, not forgetting the fact that I have one drawer full of paper muffin cups!

It took me just slightly over half an hour from reading the recipe to popping these muffins into the oven. I have adapted a cinnamon and nuts muffins recipe to turn it into a batch of Cinnamon, Walnuts and Chocolate Chips Muffins.  Before I was done washing up the mixing bowls, I could already smell cinnamon :)

Warm, freshly baked, homemade muffins are not only a nice treat for breakfast but also great for a casual tea time at home. These muffins are full flavour, certainly not a surprise as they are studded with all the walnuts, chocolate chips and cinnamon. The texture is a teeny weeny on the dry side...maybe they are made with milk only...I guess I am so used to the very moist muffins made with yoghurt.

I am so inspired by these lovely muffins that I think I have done a decent job in the composition of the above images. Of course, I must thank my cyberfriend VB for sending me the pretty muffin liners, gorgeous kitchen towels and the matching mug! I could almost imagine myself sitting inside a lovely little cafe at a little town in Provence, drinking tea and savouring muffins... ahem...delicate French desserts ;)

Cinnamon Walnuts and Chocolate Chips Muffins

Ingredients
(makes 9 regular size muffins)

140ml milk
80ml canola or corn oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
200g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
100g granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
50g walnuts, coarsely chopped
50g mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together milk, oil, egg and vanilla extract, until just combined.
2. Sieve flour, baking powder and ground cinnamon into another mixing bowl. Add sugar, salt and stir to combine.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are just combined (Note: stop stirring once the flour incorporates into the batter, but do check that there is no pockets of flour at the bottom of the bowl). 
4. Reserve 1 tablespoon each of the chopped walnuts and chocolate chips. Gently stir in the rest of the chopped walnuts and chocolate chips into the batter. Do Not over mix the batter. The finished batter should appear thick and lumpy.
5. Spoon batter into paper muffin cups, fill it to about 3/4 full.
6. Sprinkle top with the reserved chopped walnuts and chocolate chips. 
7. Bake in preheated oven at 200degC for about 20 - 25mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Recipe source: adapted from 我的幸福手作面包，李成实

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