Vanilla Chocolate Chip Muffins

Sometimes you really need a last-minute treat. This used to happen all the time when I was at my old school, because we had these little groups called advisings that met once a week. My advising had a snack schedule, where each week somebody different would bring in a snack. I used to realize the day before that the next day was my turn, and I had to bake a quick treat (Seeing as how I was always bringing in homemade food, it was kind of expected of me). These were some muffins that I made one night for school, and they were pretty yummy. Not the greatest muffins out there, but I had been wanting to make a recipe from the book they are in, because as you look through it you really just want to dive in to a mountain of muffins and eat your way through. They are a nice last-minute treat or breakfast (hey, muffins are the perfect excuse to have cake for breakfast). Enjoy!

Vanilla Chocolate Chip Muffins (from Muffins Galore)

2 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup superfine sugar (I just use regular)
Scant 1 cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 400F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan or line the cups with paper muffin cups.
Mix the flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and chocolate chips.
In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract, then pour the milk mixture all at once into the dry ingredients. Mix briefly until just combined.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, dividing it evenly. Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until well risen, golden, and firm to the touch. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Serve warm or cold.
Muffin tip: For chunkier chocolate chip muffins, measure 1 cup from a bar/block of milk or semi-sweet chocolate, then cut it into small chunks using a sharp knife, and use the chopped chocolate instead of the chocolate chips.
Makes 12.