Preheat the oven to 375F. Butter and flour 6 jumbo muffin cups measuring a scant 4 inches in diameter by 1 3/4 inches deep.

Sift together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Toss the chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of the sifted mixture.

Cream the butter in the large bowl of an electric mixer on moderately high speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sugar and beat for 3 minutes. Beat in the egg. Blend in the melted chocolate and vanilla extract. On low speed, alternately add the sifted mixture in two additions with the half-and-half in one addition, beginning and ending with the sifted mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups.

Bake the muffins for 29 to 30 minutes, or until well risen and a wooden pick inserted into the center of a muffin emerges clean and dry. (While the pick may be tinted with chocolate, it should be free of any unbaked particles of muffin batter.)

Cool the muffins in the pan on a rack for 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully remove the muffins to another cooling rack. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Jumbo Butterscotch Chip Muffins-Substitute butterscotch-flavored chips for the semisweet chocolate chips and chopped walnuts for the pecans.

Jumbo Milk Chocolate Chip Muffins-Substitute milk chocolate chips for the semisweet chocolate chips.

Jumbo White Chocolate Chip Muffins-Substitute white chocolate chips for the semisweet chocolate chips.

Bittersweet Chocolate Chunk Muffins with Walnuts and Pecans-Substitute 3 3-oz bars bittersweet chocolate, chopped, for the semisweet chocolate chips; use 1/2 cup chopped walnuts and 1/2 cup chopped pecans.

from Baking for Gift-Giving by Lisa Yockelson typed by Tiffany Hall-Graham