VGP #20 Chocolate Surprise Muffins

This is one of the few recipes this month that was not a first try. I've made these lots of times and I just love them. They come from The Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn. You make a devil's food cupcake, drop a cheesecakey filling in the middle, and bake. The original makes regular size muffins, but I make minis.

In Colorado my filling sank to the bottom. Here, it only sinks in slightly and is still visible on the top:...unless I do a batter-filling-batter routine like I did for these pictures, but that's not really necessary.

SURPRISE!

Another option is to coat them with Shiny Chocolate Glaze (recipe below) but I've never tried that. After all, the difference between a muffin and a cupcake is frosting, and you can eat muffins for breakfast!

Filling:
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (though you could experiment with other flavors!)
1 large egg
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Muffins:
Paper liners for muffin pans
1 pkg devil's food cake mix
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs

1. Beat cream cheese and sugar until combined. Add vanilla and egg; stir until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin tins with paper liners. In electric mixer bowl place cake mix, water, oil and eggs and blend on low for 1 minute. Stop, scrape down sides and mix on medium speed for 2 more minutes. Spoon batter into prepared cups, filling about 2/3 full.

3. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center of each muffin. Bake for 23 to 27 minutes. Cool in pans on wire rack for about 5 minutes, then remove from pans to cool completely. Makes about 2 dozen regular muffins or about 6 dozen minis.

Shiny Chocolate Glaze

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 T butter
2 1/2 T light corn syrup
1 1/4 tsp water

1. Place chocolate chips, butter and corn syrup in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until melted, 2 minutes. Add the water, 1/2 tsp at a time, until glaze is pouring consistency. Spoon over muffins.

This is the end of SURPRISE! Week (I hope you liked it), but hardly time to despair. There are eleven more glorious days of your virtual goody plate to look forward to!