Double Chocolate Salted Caramel Muffins

Have you ever gotten into a muffin vs. cupcake discussion with someone who feels passionate about finding the differences between the two?  I've been sucked into more of those conversations than I care to recall and there rarely seems to be any resolution. 

It all very subjective but in my unscientific opinion, if you serve a sweet baked treat before 10:00 AM and you don't put any frosting on it - it'a a muffin.  Slap some frosting on that same baked goody after 10:00 AM and bam --- it's a cupcake.  It's all about the timing and the presence (or absence) of frosting.  

Some people would think that a Double Chocolate Salted Caramel Muffin might be too over the top for a morning breakfast treat but luckily - I'm not one of those people. 

I've somehow managed to avoid a morning coffee addiction but I seem to have replaced it with a chocolate addiction.  (I've got to get my caffeine somehow.)  ;)  I can eat chocolate from the very moment that I wake up to the moment that I go to bed.  My chocolate addiction does not discriminate - I can eat it ALL day.  

Double Chocolate Salted Caramel Muffins
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
​1/2 cup jarred dulce de leche
​

Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

Stir in chopped chocolate.

Whisk together milk, oil and eggs. 

Stir into the flour mixture until combined. 

Divide batter between 12 muffin cups.  Bake 12 minutes at 350.

Sprinkle the tops of muffins with grated chocolate and sea salt. 

Thanksgiving is exactly one week away and I am sooooo excited.  There are so many things that I'm looking forward to - not the least of these is sitting around the kitchen table early in the morning, munching on yummy muffins and talking with my sweet family.  Of course, I love turkey and pie too but its mostly about the people that will be gathering around my table.  

​Ciao!

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