Birthday Muffins

You may have noticed I've been posting a lot recently.
The truth is, I've gone a little mental.

I've had a lot of success on Foodgawker since I've been in London, so I didn't want to break up my momentum. Who woulda thought my flat in almost perpetually rainy London (at least this summer) would have such great natural light?

Today, two of my program mates have birthdays. I'm making them an old-fashioned chocolate fudge cake for tonight, but I wanted them to start their special day with a yummy treat. These definitely qualify.

These are Strawberry Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins. With Nutella on top.

Nom time.

Strawberry Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins with Nutella on top
Adapted from Damn Delicious
Yield: ~18-20 muffins
Ingredients:
All-purpose flour- 2 c
Espresso powder- 1 tbsp (instant is fine, I just used what we had)
Cinnamon- 1/2 tsp
Baking powder- 1 tbsp
Salt- 1/4 tsp
Unsalted butter- 1/2 c, melted and cooled
Strong brewed coffee- 1/2 c, cooled
Sugar- 1/3 c
Brown sugar- 1/3 c, packed
Egg- 1
Vanilla extract- 1/2 tsp
Diced strawberries- 1/2-2/3 c
Mini chocolate chips- 1/2-2/3 c
Nutella- as needed
Directions:
1. Combine flour, espresso powder, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. In another large bowl, whisk together the butter, coffee, sugar, brown sugar, egg and vanilla. Pour mixture over dry ingredients. Stir with a rubber spatula until just moistened.
3. Add strawberries and gently stir, then add chocolate chips and gently stir.
4. Scoop batter into a paper-lined muffin tray, ~3/4 full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 14-18 minutes, or until the tester comes out clean.
5. Spread Nutella on the muffins while they're still warm, and serve with a glass of milk.

I went a little nuts with adjusting shadows in Photoshop.
I'm leaving this in here because I want to document my education and growth
in food photography.

Enjoy!