Since last Sunday, I've been trying to cut back on my coffee consumption in hopes of better balancing my emotions and energy. Anxiety has been an issue that I've struggled with for many years, and while I keep it largely under control, I anticipate that the next few months will be challenging. So much change in so little time.
I've only had three cups of coffee in the past week, and instead I'm enjoying more mugs of warm and soothing herbal tea...Egyptian Licorice being my personal favorite. If you haven't tried licorice tea, please go to Whole Foods and buy yourself a box; we all need pampering this time of year and a cup of this herbal concoction will lull you into tranquility.
But even as I cut back on my coffee consumption, I still appreciate the rich, dark, warmth that a cup of coffee offers. While tea is splendid, you can't really compare the two. As the saying goes, "It's like apples and oranges." Probably due to my self-imposed restriction, I've been wanting to infuse my baked goods with that deep roasted flavor. This recipe offers me the opportunity to enjoy coffee without downing a caffeine-laden cup.
One of my best friends, Moriah, is coming home from Japan today for a couple of weeks. She is teaching English overseas, doing amazing work, and growing, I'm sure, into an even more beautiful and courageous woman. She asked me a good while ago to make her some baked goods for when she returned for this short vacation.
Moriah and I met on a Denver bus over four years ago. Yes, an RTD bus. We both traveled on the same route each morning, and after eying each other for several days, we mustered the courage to introduce ourselves. The rest, as cliche the goes, was history. Over the course of four years, my heart and Moriah's have become closely entwined. Although we now live thousands of miles apart, we still share a sense of deep and purposeful connection. I'm sure that many of you have a person like that in your life, a person that knows parts of you that you may not even understand yourself. This recipe celebrates that deep warmth, that rich intensity of the human bond.
Additionally, Moriah and I liked to meet for coffee, and so I thought that this recipe would be a perfect way to welcome her back to the States (I imagine that tea is the more prominent hot beverage in Japan). The recipe below is vegan, but don't let that fool you into thinking that this isn't a rich and decadent breakfast snack or dessert. These muffins are moist and packed full of flavor. They aren't overly sweet but the milk chocolate chips add just the right amount of sugar. I would think that toasted walnuts or pecans might be fun ingredients to experiment with, perhaps even a dark raisin. So please, make yourself some muffins and if you can, share them with a friend who can speak to the secret places in your heart.
I've only had three cups of coffee in the past week, and instead I'm enjoying more mugs of warm and soothing herbal tea...Egyptian Licorice being my personal favorite. If you haven't tried licorice tea, please go to Whole Foods and buy yourself a box; we all need pampering this time of year and a cup of this herbal concoction will lull you into tranquility.
But even as I cut back on my coffee consumption, I still appreciate the rich, dark, warmth that a cup of coffee offers. While tea is splendid, you can't really compare the two. As the saying goes, "It's like apples and oranges." Probably due to my self-imposed restriction, I've been wanting to infuse my baked goods with that deep roasted flavor. This recipe offers me the opportunity to enjoy coffee without downing a caffeine-laden cup.
One of my best friends, Moriah, is coming home from Japan today for a couple of weeks. She is teaching English overseas, doing amazing work, and growing, I'm sure, into an even more beautiful and courageous woman. She asked me a good while ago to make her some baked goods for when she returned for this short vacation.
Moriah and I met on a Denver bus over four years ago. Yes, an RTD bus. We both traveled on the same route each morning, and after eying each other for several days, we mustered the courage to introduce ourselves. The rest, as cliche the goes, was history. Over the course of four years, my heart and Moriah's have become closely entwined. Although we now live thousands of miles apart, we still share a sense of deep and purposeful connection. I'm sure that many of you have a person like that in your life, a person that knows parts of you that you may not even understand yourself. This recipe celebrates that deep warmth, that rich intensity of the human bond.
Additionally, Moriah and I liked to meet for coffee, and so I thought that this recipe would be a perfect way to welcome her back to the States (I imagine that tea is the more prominent hot beverage in Japan). The recipe below is vegan, but don't let that fool you into thinking that this isn't a rich and decadent breakfast snack or dessert. These muffins are moist and packed full of flavor. They aren't overly sweet but the milk chocolate chips add just the right amount of sugar. I would think that toasted walnuts or pecans might be fun ingredients to experiment with, perhaps even a dark raisin. So please, make yourself some muffins and if you can, share them with a friend who can speak to the secret places in your heart.
Vegan Mocha Chip Muffins
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
1 cup soy milk
1/2 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons soy yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease or line a 12 muffin tin
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Mix in the instant coffee powder. In a separate bowl, whisk together the soy milk, oil, yogurt, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just moistened. Fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Fill the muffin cups three-quarters full. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
1 cup soy milk
1/2 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons soy yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease or line a 12 muffin tin
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Mix in the instant coffee powder. In a separate bowl, whisk together the soy milk, oil, yogurt, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just moistened. Fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Fill the muffin cups three-quarters full. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.
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