Double Chocolate Ginger Muffins

Confession: I don't usually like chocolate muffins. I'm not sure why, because I really like chocolate cupcakes. I usually veer more towards savory in my breakfast choices (ahem Christmas Morning Casserole and Crescent Roll Breakfast Bake). I don't even like Chocolate Chip Pancakes. But this month I was inspired by these Double Ginger Molasses Cookies I made. They were actually double ginger AND double chocolate.

A while ago I made you all these Ginger Rhubarb Muffins and so after making those cookies here recently, the wheels started turning. I landed on an adaptation of my favorite Sweet Potato Muffin Recipe (weird that that's how I landed on chocolate and ginger, I know).

You'll notice these double chocolate ginger muffins call for canned pumpkin. You can't taste the pumpkin at all, but it lends so much tender softness to the crumb of the finished muffins you really won't believe it!

The ginger lends a slight spice to every bite. The way it pairs with the chocolate makes it feel like a holiday. I've served them both warm right out of the oven AND completely cooled. When warm, the melty chocolate chips add an extra layer of richness.

Cooled, you get that satisfying chocolate chip bite. They are completely perfect with coffee, making them 100% appropriate for both breakfast AND dessert.

I actually packed these in lunches for about a week. My kids are major fans. Multipurpose muffins! We are winning all around.

So perhaps I am a chocolate for breakfast convert. At least in the realm of muffins. I'll still opt for apples over chocolate with my pancakes, though. I have yet to find a recipe that will change my mind about that. 

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Double Chocolate Ginger Muffins Recipe

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup plain greek yogurt, or sour cream
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a standard muffin pan with paper liners.
2. In a small bowl combine the minced fresh ginger and granulated sugar, and let it sit until you are done with the muffin batter.
3. In a large bowl lightly beat the eggs. Add the sour cream, oil, and canned pumpkin and stir well. Mix in the brown sugar and vanilla. The batter will be frothy and kind of fluffy at this point.
4. Add the flour, cocoa, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
5. Stir until just combined. Then fold in the chocolate chips and sweetened ginger.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 prepared muffin cups.
7. Bake for 18 - 20 mins. Let them cool slightly before removing from the pan. 

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Avocado Cream Cheese Turnovers

Oh boy you guys, I think I just stumbled onto the best new portable tailgating snack EVER. I mean, they are handheld which makes them so easy to snag one in one hand while you down that cocktail or beer you're enjoying in the other.

It's like I only think of you guys and how to help you enjoy amazing food easily, right?

Seriously, though, I'll do it again and again and again. There's just something special about having great food before heading to a game or while you're rooting for your favorite team at home. I swear, it even makes a difference as to whether your team wins.

Is there avocado and cheese involved?

Odds are, your team is heading for a serious w-i-n.

Don't take this as a guarantee though… I'd hate to be wrong and have you come back and shame me forever and ever.

When you take that first warm, buttery smooth bite, you're going to feel like you're having an out of body experience.

It's creamy, it's savory, it's spicy and it's bursting with insane amounts of flavor. These turnovers would already be insanely delicious without the cream cheese, but the cream cheese makes the over-the-top indulgent.

Then entire thing just melts in your mouth, starting with the buttery puff pastry and all the way down to the warm cherry tomatoes and spicy jalapeño pieces. They're a little bit like my avocado goat cheese crostini – cousins, even.

Everything you would want to find inside a turnover crust, without you ever knowing you wanted it!

Even if you are just stuffing your face with these on a Tuesday night when there's no football on – I promise you won't get any judgment from me. I might just invite myself over and insist that you let me join in on the feast!

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Avocado Cream Cheese Turnovers Recipe

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Ingredients

• 1 puff pastry
• 1/2 avocado, sliced and then slices cut in half
• 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into thin slices
• 1/2 jalapeño, diced
• 1/3 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/4 cup monterey jack cheese
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.
2. On a lightly floured work surface, slightly roll out the puff pastry into a square. Cut the square into 3 strips horizontally, then cut 4 strips vertically to make little rectangles.
3. Beat together egg and water in a small bowl to form an egg wash.
4. In a small bowl, stir together jalapeño, cherry tomatoes, Monterey jack cheese, garlic powder, cayenne, salt and pepper.
5. Place 2 half slices of avocado on half of the rectangles. Top with a slice of cream cheese. Top this with a spoonful of the cherry tomato mixture.
6. Brush the edges of the pastry squares with the egg wash. Top each filled puff pastry slice with another, pinching the edges together to form a pop tart shape. Use a form to press the edges in and firmly seal.
7. Place on baking sheet and brush tops with egg wash.
8. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

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