Recipe of the Week - Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

This recipe comes to you courtesy of my newest cookbook, Martha Stewart's Cupcakes.  This is an awesome recipe and I think you and your family will enjoy the lightness of this cupcake and of course everything is better with chocolate chips!  You can frost these but I chose not too and I don't regret it.  Martha pairs them with a dark chocolate frosting.  But I have to say, they taste wonderful with out frosting.  Like a fluffy chocolate chip cookie. 

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cups plus 1 T sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 T pure vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 T milk
1/2 cup plus 6 T (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
5 large egg whites, room temperature
2 cups (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.  Whisk together 3 1/4 cups cake flour, the baking powder, and salt.  It does say to sift your cake flour, but I did not.  I guess it's up to you.  I will try it next time to see if I like it better.

Stir the vanilla into the milk to combine.

With an electric mixer on med-high speed, 

cream butter until smooth.  Adding the sugar

in a steady stream, beat until pale and fluffy. 

Reduce speed to low.  Add flour mixture in three batches, 

alternating with two additions of milk mixture, 

and beating until just combined after each.

In another bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, 

whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form (do not overmix).

Fold one-third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten.  

Gently fold in remaining whites until just combined. 

Toss chocolate chips with remaining tablespoon of cake flour.  

This keeps your chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom.

Gently fold the chips into the batter.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, 

filling each three-quarters full.  

It filled 2 regular sized muffin tins and...

a 24 count mini muffin tin  too!

Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester 

inserted in centers comes out clean and the tops are 

springy to the touch, about 22 minutes.  Transfer tins 

to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.

 Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, 

or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.