Massive, bakery-style muffinsbrimming with chocolate chips!
Los Angeles is definitely known for their never-endingvariety of restaurants and eateries, which is definitely one of the things I LOVED about living down there.In fact, one of mymost favorite spotsto frequent wasPorto’s Bakery in Burbank. It’s easilythe BEST bakery I have ever been to, and the daily lines extendingout the doorsare proofthat no bakery in town holds a torch to their gamut of culinary delicacies!
Porto’s hasan endless array of baked goods, from international savories like their infamous fried Potato Balls, to mouthwatering sweets like their French mousses, tantalizing individual desserts, and immaculately-decorated cakes. And that’s just the bakery! The other half of the building is a café, where they serve amazing sandwiches along withother lunch favorites.
With our annual mother-daughter LA trips, it’s becomea bitof a tradition for my mom and I to stop off at Porto’s on our way to the airport. We like to stock up on some amazing pastries and treats to bring back with us to Portland. That is, if they even make it throughthe plane ridehome…
When we visited last fall, I decided to try one of their bigchocolate chip muffins. Although a chocolate chip muffinsounds like something so basic and ordinary, I couldn’t take my eyes away from it’s chocolate chip-studded glory.I just knew it HAD to be good.
And boy, oh boy, OH BOY, was it good! Soft, fluffy, sweet, and STUFFED with chocolate chips! It was then and there that I made it my soul missionto create that very same muffin–perfect in all of its jumbo chocolatey goodness.
And I mustsay, I think I came pretty damn close…
Let’s dive right into what makes these golden puffs of chocolate heaven so amazing, shall we?
To start things off, I decided to use equal partscanola oil and unsalted butter in the batter. When it comes to fats, oil does a better job of creating that moist, pillowy texture while butter provides better flavor. To further enhance that flavor, I also browned the butter for that extra golden nuttiness we all love!
Instead of milk or buttermilk, I used plain yogurt. Whether it’s plain or flavored doesn’t really make a huge difference. I ended up using vanilla yogurt for a more subtle flavor.
As for the mixing method, it’s pretty straightforward. Combine all of the dry ingredients together, combine all of the wet ingredients together, then gently fold the dry and the wet together until almost combined. Toss in the chocolate chips, and continue folding until chips are evenly distributed.Try to resist the temptation to overmix. A few dry pocketsof flour is totally A-OK when it comes to muffin batter! This is a must forcreating those soft, bouncy muffins. Remember, we don’t want rock-hard Arnold Schwarzenegger muffins. We want soft, sexy, and voluptuous Sofia Vergara muffins!
Just like Portos’ chocolate chip muffins,I wanted these muffins to be exploding withchocolate chips! No compromising there! While Porto’s uses onlyregular-sized semi-sweet chocolate chips, I decided to add BOTH mini and regular chocolate chips to my muffins. Mini chips are great when it comes to amore even distribution throughout the batter, while the larger chips are better at creating those big, melty craters of chocolate inside the warm, steamy muffins.
Absolute ecstasy…
A couple of tipsforcreatingthose beautifully peaked muffin tops are to fill the muffin tins to the very top (none of that 2/3 or 3/4 business), and to set your oven temperature to a higher heat–425F degrees. Bake the muffins for 5 minutes, THEN decrease the oven temp to 375F degrees tofinish baking the muffins. The initial high heat causes a more rapid rise in the first few minutes of baking and also encourages the outside to bake quicker while allowing the inside to keep rising as it finishes baking.
You might also notice that not only did I adda whoppingTablespoon of baking powder to the batter, but I also added 1 teaspoon of baking soda as well. Just like the initial high oven temp, both leavening agents are key to creating sky-high, almost explosive domes.
Forthat authentic bakery look, I decided to make my ownparchment liners.With my BARE hands. Yep…and they’re a real pain in the arse to make.No matter how many times I watched the Youtube tutorial, I just couldn’t get them to turn out exactly like they’re supposed to.
Oh well, we can’t all be born with that magical Martha Stewarttouch.
Massive, bakery-style muffinsbrimming with chocolate chips!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 28 minutes mins
Total Time 58 minutes mins
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 8 Jumbo Muffins*
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 2 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 ½ cup yogurt (I used vanilla-flavored)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 ¼ cup regular size semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425ºF.Spray a jumbo muffin panwith non-stick cooking spray, or line with paper liners.
In a medium saucepan,melt the butter over medium-low heat.As the butter melts, it’ll start to foam, then turn a clear golden color. Continue to stir the butter, scraping up any browned specks from the bottom of the pan as it starts to brown. It should have a nutty aroma.
Once browned and nutty, turn off the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined; set aside.
In another bowl, whisk both sugars and the eggs together until thickened and combined, about 45 seconds. Whisk in the browned butter and the canola oil. Add the yogurt and vanilla, and continue whisking until combined.
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients untilalmost combined. Pour in the chocolate chips, folding until just combined. Batter should still be lumpy with a few spots of flour.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan, filling all the way to the top. Sprinkle with more chocolate chips, if desired.
Bake at 425ºF for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperatureto 375ºF and continue to bake for another 22-23 minutes until muffin tops are golden.A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with few moist crumbs attached. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes beforeserving.
Notes
*For standard size muffins, bake the muffins at 425ºF for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375ºF and bake for an additional 13-14 minutes.
*Yields: 8-9 jumbo muffins or17-18 standard size muffins
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