Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

I'm going to let you in on a secret. I never use real buttermilk. It's just so annoying when a recipe calls for 1/2 a cup of it or something, because you have to buy an entire carton. Seriously. What am I going to do with the rest? Drink it. I don't think so. And it goes bad quickly, so I usually don't use it up in another recipe in time.

Well, I'm now going to share with you my new favourite cooking tip. You can make your own buttermilk! And it's super simple, using ingredients you probably have on hand. All you have to do is add one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup, fill the rect (to the one cup line) with milk, let it sit for 5-10 minutes and voila! Buttermilk! It's perfect for recipes where you just need a little bit...recipes like this one!

These chocolate chip muffins are just as delicious as they look. I made them in mini muffin cups, and they fit perfectly inside a lunch box for a little treat. Everyone in my family loved them, and everyone in your's will too!

*Note: If you have some buttermilk in your fridge you're looking to use up, this recipe would be a perfect way to use up one cup of it!

Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins
Adapted from allrecipes
Makes 36-40 mini muffins (or about 12 regular ones)

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup buttermilk (or "buttermilk substitute", as shown above)
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt until combined. In a small bowl, beat the egg, then add melted butter, buttermilk and vanilla, beating until combined. 

Add butter mixture to flour mixture, stirring only until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop into mini muffin pan lined with muffin liners. Bake in preheated oven for 11-14 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.