To Bake or Not to Bake
isn’t even a question, with me.

First off, I must point out to you that Smitten Kitchen has a recipe for St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake on her site. I can’t wait to try it out. It is a version which doesn’t call for cake mix but starts with a yeasted cake, instead. So I’m excited to see how that tastes. She was raving about it, so it has to be good. I trust Smitten Kitchen. She’s never steered me wrong, yet.

Secondly, these chocolate chunk muffins are really good. I made them for the second time yesterday. I took some to a friend and left a few here. What do you know, they disappeared and I do not have an image to share with y’all. Baked goods just get inhaled around here. You might want to give them a try. They are very chocolatey but not very sweet. Here’s my version of the recipe:

Chocolate Chip Muffins

6 T. butter, melted
2/3 cup chocolate chips, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon (or to taste — I like cinnamon so I put 2 t.)
1 large egg
2 t. vanilla

375 degrees oven and put the rack in the center. Butter or spray muffin pan or use paper cups.
Melt the butter with 1/3 cup of the chocolate chips in a microwave on 1/2 power in 1 minute increments, stirring after each minute.
Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Combine the liquid ingredients together. Pour the liquid ingredients and the melted chocolate/butter mixture over the dry and stir gently but quickly to mix. Don’t worry about small lumps. Stir in the reserved 1/3 cup chocolate chips. Divide between the muffin cups (I get 16 out of this recipe) and bake for 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in the tins before turning out to cool completely.