Why do people enjoy the holidays so much? What about the season invokes that distinctive sense of warmth, happiness and closeness? For me, it’s the small things that make the holidays so inviting. The scratchy coziness of favorite old sweaters, the twinkle of Christmas lights illuminating night-time streets, seeing my breath fog up on crisp winter mornings, Mariah Carey belting out the high notes of “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and most importantly, all the delicious food. Let’s face it, the holidays are an excuse to consume ridiculous amounts of sugary, chocolate-covered creations. Diets are cast away until the new year; the holidays are a time to celebrate. But even in the sea of elaborate specialty sweets, my favorite has always been homemade chocolate chip peppermint muffins. There’s something comforting and familiar about this simple, childish snack, and the combination of melty chocolate pockets and sweet, fresh peppermint reminds me of all the good things about winter. Here is a recipe for those who would like to try the muffins out.

Chocolate Chip Peppermint Muffins

Materials:
-Muffin tins
-Whisk
-Electric mixer
-Baking spray
-2 large bowls

Ingredients:
-2 cups all-purpose flour
-1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-1 ⅓ cup brown sugar
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-2 teaspoons baking powder
-1/2 cup Andes peppermint chips
-1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1/4 + ⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-1 large egg
-1/4 cup heavy cream
-1 cup low-fat milk
-1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tins with baking spray.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in one of the bowls and whisk to combine.

Combine milk, cream, brown sugar, egg, olive oil, vanilla extract and peppermint extract in the other bowl and whisk to combine.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat with electric mixer until well-combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and peppermint chips.

Fill muffin tins ¾ of the way and bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

This recipe produces about 12 muffins, so adjust your proportions accordingly to the size of your party. Hopefully they will add to a few smiles to your winter season and become another holiday tradition. More fun recipes can be found on http://becca-bakes.com