The Recipe Room

I’ve made chocolate chip muffins many times with my little niece.  It’s one of our staple favourites when she comes round as she always asks to help me make them. The last time she visited and we baked this recipe together, I have a feeling that more chocolate chips went straight into her tummy than into the muffins themselves. 

Chocolate chips contain less cocoa butter than traditional baking chocolate, giving them a higher melting point, which is what helps them to keep their shape during cooking.  We are all very familiar with the good old American-English muffin, which has become so very popular these days, and can be found in all sorts of sizes and varieties.  But the palm-sized chocolate chip muffin must also be high on the list of all-time favourites. (Also try these choconana muffin nests, perfect for Easter!)

Ingredients:

• 90g self-raising flour
• 20g cocoa powder
• 1tsp baking powder
• 90g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 90g butter
• 75ml milk
• 50g dark chocolate chips, or good dark chocolate, broken into pieces.

Preparation Guidelines:

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC, and grease a 6 muffin mould baking tray with a sliver of butter.
2. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder together over a large mixing bowl and stir.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and the sugar together until light and creamy.  Add the milk, and whisk until well-combined.
4. Gradually beat the butter and sugar mixture into the flour mixture, and when evenly combined, stir in the chocolate pieces.
5. Bake the muffins in the oven for around 20-25 mins.  Remove the tray from the oven and cool the muffins on a wire rack before enjoying them with a fresh cup of tea and the company of children.

Note:    Normally, muffins are eaten once cooled, but have you thought of trying them warm, drizzled with chocolate sauce and with a dollop of ice cream for a wickedly rich pudding?  Or try eating them straight from the oven with chocolate custard.

Time: 15 mins to prepare, 25 mins to cook

Cocoa Treats: 6 large muffins

Well, here’s a little something completely different from the classic chocolate fudge cake.  There’s nothing posh about this cocoa treat, oh no… but chocolate cake in a mug is fast, fun and tasty to throw together for a mid-week pudding for the kids, or just for yourself whenever you need a little comfort food (shhhh don’t tell anyone).  If you’re making it just for one, simply halve the ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 8 tbsp self-raising flour
• 4 tbsp cocoa powder
• 8 tbsp caster sugar
• 6 tbsp milk
• 6 tbsp chocolate chips
• 6 tbsp sunflower oil
• Splash of vanilla essence
• 2 eggs

You will also need 2 large mugs

Preparation Guidelines:

Split all of the ingredients by half into 2 large mugs. Or, you can simply mix everything together in a bowl, then transfer the mixture evenly into the 2 mugs before cooking.

1. First add all of the dry ingredients and stir them together with a teaspoon.
2. Add the egg and thoroughly work the mixture together with the spoon.
3. Add the oil and the milk and stir again.
4. Splash in the vanilla essence, pour in the chocolate chips, and keep mixing.
5. Cook the mixture in the mugs; put each mug in separately for 3 minutes (timing is for a 1000W microwave).
6. Allow the cup to cool enough to handle it before you dig in to your yummy chocolate cake in a mug.

Note:    The cake mixture should rise over the top of the mug during cooking.

This cake is also really tasty eaten hot with vanilla ice cream, or any other flavour for that matter.  If you fancy it this way, simply transfer it to a bowl to serve and add the ice cream; the combination of hot cake and the ice cream will be wonderful!

Time: 5 minutes to prepare, 3 minutes to cook in the microwave for each mug of cake.

Cocoa Treats: Makes enough for 2 large mugs of cake!