TWD: Coffee Break Muffins

I've gotten to the point where I always have just enough energy at the end of the day to cook dinner for my family, feed them, clean the girls up after dinner, entertain them for a few hours after dinner, and get them into bed...but that's it. The bedtime routine stretches from Eloise whose teeth I start brushing at 8:00 and who gets in her crib around 8:30 to Helen who I start reading bedtime stories to at 8:30 and finally (if I'm lucky) get into bed around 9:30. Lately, Helen has been getting out of bed approximately five times before actually falling asleep (don't even ask me about our hour long knock down drag out fight everyday for nap time...which they never ever take at the same time). So guess what, every night I try to drag myself back into the kitchen to wash dishes, scrub pots, sweep, clean the highchair, etc. but that has not happened since this pregnancy started! So then the next morning (is 4:50am considered morning?) I have a horribly dirty kitchen staring me in the face- a kitchen that I must clean prior to starting breakfast and packing Derrick's lunch. So let me tell you about these Coffee Break Muffins. Let me just say they will be a staple for this house for the remainder of this pregnancy!!

First of all, they are extremely simple to throw together. The butter is melted, so no having to remember to put it out to soften on the counter. There is no citrus zesting. No sifting of flour. No chopping of chocolate. No toasting of nuts. You get the picture! If you are plagued with a dish washing epidemic like I am, you can even just use one bowl and dump the liquid ingredients directly into the dry! Oh and although Dorie calls for baking the muffins for 20 minutes, mine were ready in about 13. Now, most importantly, the muffins contain both a strong cup of coffee and a tablespoon of espresso powder so these muffins are actually caffeinated- music to my sleep deprived ears! When you're pregnant you aren't supposed drink much caffeine, most doctors say one cup of coffee a day is the limit, and I have been pretty dedicated to not really drinking more than 1/4 a diet coke every few days so these muffins were like gold! The whole family loved them! Thank you Rhiani of Chocoholic Anonymous for this week's Tuesdays with Dorie!