Quickie Double Devil's Food Cupcakes

If you missed my last "Quickie" recipe, all that means is that this cupcake is from a mix rather than from scratch.  Still super tasty!

These are Double Devil's Food Cupcakes because there are also chocolate chips mixed in!  Sounds horrible, right? haha  If you want, you can even dust some cocoa powder over the top of them like I did.  (Could have called these "Triple" for that reason, but I like alliterations. ;] )

The only things you will need for this recipe that are not listed right on the box are some semi-sweet chocolate chips, and strong coffee.  If you want to dust them, you will also need some cocoa powder.

If you're thinking, "What is coffee doing in my chocolate cupcakes?" I stole that concept from the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten.  In at least one of her chocolate cake recipes she uses coffee to enhance the chocolate flavor, and I think it works wonderfully.  I also added some to the frosting.

Quickie Double Devil's Food Cupcakes

• 1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix, plus ingredients needed for mix (24 cupcakes size, normally you need eggs and vegetable oil)
• 1 can chocolate frosting (2 if piping frosting)
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups of strong coffee at room temperature, separated (you may not need it all)

If you want dusting:

• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, roughly

~Follow the directions on the mix for preheating and mixing instructions, substituting the coffee for the amount of water the recipe calls for.  Fold the chocolate chips into the batter right before scooping the batter into your muffin tins.  Fold just until incorporated.  (I like larger cupcakes so I got around 22, and as always I checked 2 minutes before the earliest recommended baking time)

~You should have some coffee left over, as the mix I used only used 1 1/3 cups of coffee.  Mix 1 tablespoon of your extra coffee into your frosting.  If this makes the frosting too liquidy for you, pop it in the fridge while the cupcakes are baking and cooling, and it should firm up.  (Worse comes to worst, add in powdered sugar a teaspoon at a time until it reaches the consistency that you want)

~After the cupcakes are fully cooled and frosted, you can use a sifter to dust some cocoa powder on top if you like.  Enjoy!

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Banana Muffins

The original recipe called solely for chocolate chips, but I had some peanut butter chips lying around and I couldn't resist!  Bananas and peanut butter go together so well.

I enjoyed these, as they were not too dense and relatively easy to make.

I only had nonfat greek yogurt in the fridge, so that's what I used, and they turned out fine.

The best thing about muffins is that you don't have to wait for them to cool! haha

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Banana Muffins
Adapted from Lois Gordon's Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
allrecipes.com
Makes 15-17 muffins

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (took me 2 large bananas)
• heaping 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• heaping 1/3 cup peanut butter baking chips

~Preheat oven to 350 °F.  Prepare muffin tins with liners.

~In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

~In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, egg, vegetable oil, yogurt, and vanilla extract.  Add flour mixture, and whisk just until incorporated.

~Fold in the mashed bananas, chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips.  

~Fill your liners about two-thirds full and bake for 20 to 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (21 minutes was spot on for me, and I had 15 good sized muffins)

~Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then remove muffins to a wire cooling rack.  I recommend trying some while still warm, enjoy!