chocolate chip espresso muffins (vegan + whole grain)

I am first going to start this off by saying, what the heck is going on in New Jersey? We have been getting snowstorms pretty much every week now! Not to say I hate the snow (I don’t love it either) but these extreme weather conditions are driving me nuts. I think what drives me the nuttiness is being forced to clean the mountains of snow off my car and then having to repeat the same process within the next couple of days. Another thing that has been particularly bothersome is having a pile of snow from the roof of my car sliding onto the front of it and blocking my vision. This happened to me twice this week! The lesson I learned from these two incidents is to always clean the roof of your car because even when it looks like it’ll stay put, it won’t and can be embarrassing. What I do like about the snow is the way it looks the morning after a storm. I think the trees always look so majestic and beautiful which almost makes cleaning my car a little more pleasant. Almoooost. I guess the last time I genuinely loved the snow was when I was a little kid, getting snow days and my desire to want to play in the snow for hours. I guess grownups (snow lovers excluded) must lose their appreciation for the snow when they have bigger responsibilities like driving, ensuring they have enough groceries and going to work. I wish I could appreciate it more but in the mean time I will spend most of my days anticipating springs arrival, thank you very much! 

On a much more exciting note, today I had not only a hankering for some chocolate but an even bigger one for baking. The only problem was that I couldn't decide on what I wanted to bake. Cookies? Cake? Brownies? So, I asked Michael what I should bake and he suggested muffins! How brilliant is he? In my humble opinion homemade muffins qualify as decadent but are still a wholesome little treat. I made an adaption of Sara Forte’s “brown butter espresso chip muffins” which I honestly wish I could eat as is! But instead of brushing the recipe to the side, I swapped the eggs for flax meal, used coconut oil and some vegan butter for the streusel.

Chocolate Chip Espresso Muffins:

makes 8-10 muffins

I found these muffins to be wonderfully decadent without being overly sweet, which is exactly my ideal for a muffin. By using three different flours you get a nice variety textures and flavors. The almond meal lends a nuttiness that works well with the earthiness of the espresso and I personally love the surprise pieces of chocolate chips that are enhanced by the subtle hints of cinnamon. Finally the oat streusel topping gives these muffins their decadency due to its perfect balance of sweet and saltiness. Eat these with tea or if you’re a rebel like me freshly brewed espresso. Enjoy!

• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/3 cup oat flour (just simply grind old fashioned oats into a food processor)
• 1 cup almond meal or flour
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder 
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon espresso or finely ground coffee
• 1/3 cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons flax meal + 1/4 cup water 
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

streusel topping: 

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 2 tbsp. vegan butter 
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar 
• 1/4 tsp. each of cinnamon and cardamon 
• pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease muffin tins or fill with muffin liners. In medium sized bowl mix flax meal with water and allow to thicken. Whisk flax eggs, applesauce, vanilla and coconut oil together. In a large mixing bowl, stir the brown sugar, whole wheat pastry flour, oat flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon and espresso together to combine. Add the wet ingredients to dry and fold in the chocolate chips, stirring gently without over mixing. In small bowl, combine oats, butter, sugar and salt. Press it together with fingers to incorporate. Scoop the batter into the tins til about 3/4 full. Sprinkle each muffin with a bit of streusel. Bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes or until center is cooked through. Remove to cool.