It's Sunday night and I was again hankering for something good for me (yet yummy) to eat for snacks this week. I believe we have a winner: Irresistible Double Chocolate Muffins. Whole wheat flour, wheat bran, flax seed, pumpkin puree... and cocoa and chocolate chips. The chocolate chips are what takes this from yet another "well, I suppose it's good for me" to "mmmm".

Irresistible Double Chocolate Muffins

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup ground flax seed
• 1/2 cup wheat germ (or bran)
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk (or add 1 Tbsp vinegar to 1 cup milk)
  
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners.
2. Combine flour, flax seed, wheat germ, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and chocolate chips in a large bowl. In another bowl, beat the buttermilk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing just until combined. Spoon equal amounts of batter into muffin cups.
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 to 30 minutes.