LEBUS' CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

     CHOC-MUFFINS-2 - Huge, Hearty Chocolate Chip Muffins

     One of the well-known food trucks on the University of
     Pennsylvania campus during my undergraduate days was an old
     painted school bus called LeBus. In addition to serving
     wonderful soups, salads, and sandwiches they often had these
     huge, delicious chocolate chip muffins. A few years ago, the
     LeBus owners abandoned the old school bus for a more upscale
     restaurant of the same name across the street from where the
     bus used to be parked. Although their menu expanded, it was
     never quite the same. Before I graduated, I made sure to get
     their muffin recipe.  These muffins are hearty, unlike the
     supersweet, fluffy chocolate chip muffins usually sold in
     bakeries.

INGREDIENTS (Makes 12-18)
          DRY
     5 2/3 cups
               unbleached flour, (use all white or up to half
               whole wheat)
     11/3 cups sugar
     4 tsp     baking soda
     2 1/2 tsp salt
     1 tsp     cinnamon
     1/2 cup   rolled oats, (not instant)
     1 2/3 cups
               chocolate chips
          WET
     2         large eggs
     1/3 cup   vegetable oil
     3 Tbsp    orange juice concentrate
     2 cups    buttermilk
     2 1/2 oz  evaporated milk (about one-half of a small can)

PROCEDURE
          (1)  Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.  Line muffin tins with
               paper liners, or grease the tins with solid veget-
               able shortening.

          (2)  In a medium size bowl, sift together: flour,
               sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in
               oats.

          (3)  In another large  bowl, beat eggs with oil. Stir
               in orange juice concentrate, buttermilk and eva-
               porated milk until well blended.

          (4)  Gradually add dry ingredients to wet, mixing until
               all dry ingredients are absorbed. Don't overbeat.
               The batter will be fairly thick.  Fold in the
               chocolate chips.

          (5)  Fill muffin tins to heaping. These muffins are
               supposed to be really BIG! Even with the tins
               heaped full of batter, you may have extra.  Make
               some more muffins, or bake the extra in a loaf
               pan.

          (6)  Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick
               inserted in the center of a muffin comes out
               clean. Serve warm.

NOTES
     The original recipe given to me by one of the LeBus workers
     was for 6 dozen muffins. I basically just divided the recipe
     by 6, which seemed to work fine.

     The batter works well if baked in loaf pans instead of muf-
     fin tins.  You probably need to bake the loaves longer; use
     the toothpick test for doneness.

RATING
     Difficulty: moderate (take care not to overmix).  Time:
     15-20 minutes preparation, 40 minutes baking.  Precision:
     Measure the ingredients.

CONTRIBUTOR
     Sharon E. Perl
     M.I.T. Laboratory for Computer Science, Cambridge, Massachusetts
     [email protected]