....that's why, the lady is...a tramp.

For this year's Dragon Con I made chipotle cheddar biscuits, banana espresso chocolate chip muffins, blueberry muffins and apple muffins. I cheated with the blueberry and apple muffins. I used...boxed. Gasp! Pictured to our left, are the chipotle biscuits. They are soo yummy and spicy. The recipe will be at the end of this post. I sprinkled some alpine smoked salt on top before baking them.



Here, we have the banana espresso chocolate chip muffins. Dense like a muffin, but sweet like a cupcake. If you can't find the instant espresso, take a look in the "ethnic food section" A few brands from Mexico have the strange little grains you're looking for.



Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins (from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 medium)
1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cups whole milk
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon instant espresso
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (6 ounces) semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 12 cup pan muffin with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium bowl stir together the bananas, sugars, butter, milk, and egg. Set aside.
In another medium bowl whisk together the flour, espresso, baking soda, and salt together. Make a well in the center of the flour bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate.
Divide the batter among the muffin pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the muffins in the pan for 15 minutes before removing. Then finishing cooling on a wire rack. Muffins can be kept in an airtight container for 2 days.


Chipotle Cheddar Biscuits (from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp chipotle powder
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled
2 cups grated and tightly packed sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups butter milk
1 large egg
kosher salt or smoked salt for topping

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, pepper, chipotle, sugra, baking powder, cream of tartar and the 1 tsp of salt.

Add the butter and, using your hands or the back of a wooden spoon, work the butter into the dough. The mixture should look like coarse sand. Add the cheese and stir to thoroughly incorporate it into the dough.

In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just incorporated. Don't overmix.

Use a small ice cream scoop or a smaller measuring cup to scoop the dough and drop it into mounds onto the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with the salt and bake in the center of the oven for about 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking time, until golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center of a biscuit comes out clean.

Transfer the biscuits to a cooling rack. The biscuits can be served slightly warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight containter for up to 2 days.

Till the next time!!