23.08.2010- More adventures in baking

Last week, following my cupcake baking, I made some chocolate muffins from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook. They turned out really well and tasted lovely!

Hummingbird Chocolate Muffins- makes 12.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
200g caster sugar
130g plain flour
50g cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
a pinch of salt
160ml whole milk
160g unsalted butter, melted
120g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

You can also include dark, milk or white chocolate chips in the mixture as you prefer, and you will also need a 12-hole muffin tray, lined with large paper muffin cases.


To make the muffins:
1) Preheat the over to 170 degrees, Gas Mark 3.
2) Put the eggs and sugar into a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment, or use an electric whisk. Beat the mixture until pale and well combined.

3) In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. In another bowl (or measuring jug), combine the milk and vanilla extract. Gradually beat theses two mixtures alternately into the egg mixture little by little and beat until well incorporated.
4) Stir in the melted butter with a wooden spoon until well mixed, and add the chopped chocolate until evenly spread throughout the muffin mixture. If you're adding chocolate chips, then do this now.
5) Once all of the ingredients are fully incorporated, spoon the mixture into the muffin cases until they are two-thirds full and bake in a preheated oven for approximately half an hour, or until the sponge is springy.
6) When cooked, leave the muffins to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely before serving.

And there you have it! I found that my muffins tasted even better after a day or two as the chocolate flavour matures beautifully.

I also made some rocky road bars last week, so will share soon!

(Image credit: Sarah Farrell, please do not reproduce without permission.)