Triple Chocolate Muffins

 

I confess.  I love chocolate and it doesn't matter what kind of chocolate it is.  Dark, milk . . .   in cakes and cookies . . .  good candy bars, good chocolates . . . pies and puddings.   The only kind I am not fond of is chocolate milk or chocolate ice cream.  I'm not even really fussy on hot chocolate drinks.  I don't know why that is. It is a mystery to me too.



The Toddster of course, he doesn't like chocolate in any form other than chocolate candies or hot chocolate.   I know!  It just ain't human, but I'm not complaining as that always means more brownies for me!!

 

Chocolate Baked goods are notoriously difficult to get a good photograph of.  I don't know why that is.   I apologize for a lack of tasty photos of these fabulously delicious muffins.   No matter how I tried, they just did not want to come out right.  Nevermind . . .



You will just have to take my word for it that they are tasty.  Moist.   Chocolaty.   Stogged full of three kinds of chocolate.  Hard to resist . . . and . . . mine, all . . . mine.   I ain't complaining!

*Triple Chocolate Muffins*

Makes 8 extra large muffins, or 12 regular 

Printable Recipe  

I have just one word for these . . . mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm . . . Warm they are divine.  Cold they are bliss.  Maybe a bit too much like dessert to be a muffin, but why quibble.  A rose by any other name and all that.  

6 TBS unsalted butter

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (115g)

2 cups plain flour (280g)

2/3 cup granulated sugar (126.5g)

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (37g)

1 TBS baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups buttermilk (296ml)

1 large free range egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chunks (90g)

1/2 cup milk chocolate chunks (90g)  

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 4.   Butter a muffin tin really well, or line with paper liners.  Set aside. (Don't forget to butter the top of the tin too!)  

Place the butter and one half of the  bittersweet chocolate into a saucepan.   Melt over very low heat, whisking to blend. (Alternately do in a bowl set over simmering water, taking care that the bottom of the bowl not touch the water.)  Remove from the heat and set aside. 

Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, soda and salt in a large bowl.   Whisk together the buttermilk, egg and vanilla.  Pour this along with the melted chocolate/butter mixture over top of the dry ingredients.  Stir just to combine.  Fold in all of the chocolates.  Divide the batter evenly amongst the muffin cups.  They should be at least 2/3 full.    

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of one comes out clean.  Don't over-bake.  You want them a bit squidgy not dry.  Allow to cool in the pan for five minutes before tipping out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.  Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

Baked Carrot Cake Doughnuts

 


We are awfully fond of doughnuts in this house.  I especially like the Crispy Cremes we can get at the local Tesco and on the Motorway.  Occasionally I will buy a box to treat the missionaries with, and  . . . we have been known to indulge in one or two when we are on a lengthy trip along the motorway.  But deep fried doughnuts are a once in a blue moon treat for us, which is as it should be.

 

I am not adverse to baking doughnuts however.  I bought myself several doughnut baking pans last year and I break them out every so often.  Baked doughnuts are still a real treat, except they are not fried.  I guess they are a bit like muffins, except they are shaped like doughnuts.  What's not to like about that?

 In the past year I have made . . .



Baked Chai Spice Doughnuts.



Honey Glazed Granola Doughnuts.



Baked Chocolate Buttermilk Doughnuts.



White Chocolate Drizzled Gingerbread Doughnuts.  




Jam Filled Baked Cinnamon Doughnuts.



Glazed Red Velvet Baked Doughnuts.

I have to say that each variety was quite delicious in their own right.   Today though . . . I baked a new favourite.   Carrot Cake Doughnuts.



How could you not fall in love with your favourite flavour of cake . . . in doughnut form???  It's not humanly possible I don't think.   Enjoy.



*Baked Carrot Cake Doughnuts*
Makes one dozen

Printable Recipe  

Your favourite cake in a doughnut.   Simple and quick to make and very tasty.  You can sub soy milk for the regular milk for a dairy free version if you like and leave out the icing.   Just drizzle with honey whilst still warm in that case.

300g self raising flour (2 cups)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

75g toasted walnut pieces (3/4 cup)

115g soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup packed)

2 large free range eggs, beaten

200ml of milk (generous 3.4 cup)

150ml of sunflower oil (scant 2/3 cup)

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp orange extract (can use the finely grated zest of one orange)

For the glaze:

150g of cream cheese (5 ounces)

(Do not use no fat)

50g sifted icing sugar (1/3 cup)

1 tsp lemon juice
chopped toasted walnut pieces, optional

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Grease well two six cup doughnut pans.  I use nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nuts together in a bowl.   In a separate measure whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, milk, oil and extracts.   Stir in the carrot.   Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix to just combine.  Spoon into the prepared donut pans.  I find 3 dessert spoons in each is sufficient.



Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until risen and golden.   Allow to rest in the pans for about 5 minutes before tipping out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

To make the glaze, beat together all of the ingredients.  It should be thick but slightly drizzable.  Spoon over or dip the tops of the  baked doughnuts in this mixture, swirling to coat.  Sprinkle with toasted walnut pieces before the glaze sets.



Ohhhhhhhhhhhh  SO delicious!  I do hope you will give them a try!  I just know you are going to love them too!

Chocolate Chip Muffins

I love muffins.  I love them even more than cupcakes.   Cupcakes are nice, but they don't stay with you as long as a muffin does.  Muffins are heavier and when you eat one, you feel satisfied.  A muffin is a meal that feels and tastes like a real treat. 

 

I saw a joke poster the other day that said that once you lick the frosting off a cupcake that turns it into a muffin . . . so that made it a healthy option.  I beg to differ on several fronts.  A cupcake can never be a muffin . . . muffins aren't cake.   And a muffin can't be a cupcake, not if it's a true muffin that is . . . they are two completely different animals.  Mind you . . . that is only my opinion.



They also differ greatly when it comes down to mixing them up.   Cupcake batter is mixed like cake batter . . . you cream the fats and sugars together first until light and then you beat in the egg (s) . . . adding the dry and wet ingredient alternately and normally mixing to a smooth batter before putting it into the tin (s).

 

In making a muffin generally you mix together all the dry ingredients together in one bowl . . .  all the wet in a measure . . .  and then you add the wet to the dry and mix just to combine.  Lumps are ok and in fact an overmixed muffin is tough.   The best muffins come from a batter that's only been lightly used and mixed together.  Muffins tend to have a much heavier texture than  cake and taste wonderful served warm with some butter or even jam, depending on the flavour of muffin. Corn muffins served hot with butter AND jam are a marriage made in heaven . . .



I used to own my own coffee shop and I baked and sold tons of muffins each day.  The favourite was the carrot muffins, with the banana ones following closely at their heels.   The third place was a toss up between blueberry muffins and these delicious chocolate chip muffins.   Of course that could vary as well . . . with taste.   Some people would crawl through fire to get a good chocolate chip muffin.

I am one of those.



A Chocolate Chip muffin lover.  These are the best.  I add chopped walnuts to mine and sometimes I even add sultanas . . . but then again I have been known to add those to my chocolate chip cookies too.  It's a matter of taste, but if you are looking for a great basic chocolate chip muffin that is moist, and stogged to the hilt with chocolate chips, look no further.   These chocolate chip muffins are quite simply the best.

In my opinion.

 

*Chocolate Chip Muffins*
Makes 12 large  

Printable Recipe

We love these muffins in this house.  A beautifully dense and buttery muffin just filled to the brim with delicious bits of milk  chocolate.  Try to use the best chocolate you can afford to buy.  These are incredibly moreish, just so you know.  Also, when I say large I do NOT mean texas sized, but the next size down.


2 cups flour  (198g)
1/3 cup soft light brown sugar, packed (66g)
1/2 cup white sugar (95g)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk (160ml)
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled (115g)
2 large free range eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla

11 ounces milk chocolate chips (311g)
1/2 cup chopped toasted nuts, pecans or walnuts (optional) (57g)






Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Generously grease 12 large muffin cups, or line with paper liners.  Set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.  Whisk in the sugars, until the mixture is well blended.

In another bowl, stir together the milk, eggs, butter and vanilla.  Blend together well.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and then add the milk mixture all at once.  Stir together just to combine.  It doesn't matter if the batter it lumpy.  All you want is the dry ingredients to be moistened.  Fold in the chocolate pieces and the nuts, if using.  Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them 2/3 full.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre of one comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before removing the muffins from the tin to a wire rack to finish cooling.  Serve warm.

These also freeze very well.  To re-heat from frozen just pop the frozen muffin into the microwave on a piece of paper toweling and zap it for about 30 seconds.

Cranberry and Corn Toaster Cakes

  

  

When the kids were growing up we often popped across the border into the US to go shopping, especially when the Canadian dollar was almost on par.   We got a lot of bang for our bucks then!  Food in American was always a lot cheaper and we got tons of bargains.   We would come home with our car boot absolutely bursting!    

One thing I always loved to pick up was the Thomas's Toaster Muffins.  They came in several varities but my favourite ones were always the Corn Toaster Muffins  I am a big fan of corn muffins!    

I found this recipe recently on Serious Eats.  It looked delicious and very similar to the Thomas's Toaster Muffins I had so enjoyed.  I just had to print it out and give them a go.  

I was not disappointed.   They were fabulous!  Not too sweet, with a hearty texture . . . and just the perfect size for popping into the toaster.  Perfect eats for those mornings when you are rushed and don't have a lot of time to spend.  The kiddies will love them too.   

The hardest part for me was fitting my muffin top pan into our oven.   Obviously North American ovens are a lot larger!  We had to use the Toddster's pliers to bend one of the ends up so I could slide it in with ease!  They worked a charm, and in my opinion it was an improvement on the original design!  

*Cranberry Toaster Cakes*
Makes 13 

Printable Recipe  

Tasty little muffin tops that you can just pop into the toaster to heat up.   Easy peasy. 

10 TBS unsalted butter, softened

127g of granulated sugar (2/3 cup)

1/2 tsp salt

2 large free range eggs

255g of fine polenta (1 1/2 cups cornmeal)

140g plus 2 TBS plain flour (1 cup plus 2 TBS all purpose flour)

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

6 fluid ounces milk (3/4 cup)

125g fresh cranberries (1 1/4 cups)  

  

You will need several muffin top pans for this. In the UK, you can use yorkshire pudding tins, which are slightly larger.   Alternately you can just bake them as muffins, in which case you will need to bake them longer. 

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5.   Butter your tins really well and set aside.

Cream together the butter, sugar and salt until light and creamy.   Beat in the eggs, one at a time.  

Whisk together the flour, polenta and baking powder.  Stir into the creamed mixture along with the milk, stirring to just combine.   Fold in the cranberries.  Fill your muffin top cups until almost full.  Smooth over the tops with a damp spatula. 

Bake in the preheated oven until set and golden brown around the edges.  This should take about 15 minutes.   Allow to cool in the pans for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling.  Repeat with the remaining batter until all have been cooked.  

  

When done, stack, placing a piece of parchment paper in between each, wrap tightly and freeze.   When you want to have one for breakfast, just take one out and pop it into the toaster to toast.  Serve warm with softened butter for spreading!  Delish!