Mini chocolate muffins

We went swimming straight from school last night.  We went last week, and I was under prepared for just how hungry small children can get after an hour in the pool.  The result was that last week I was coerced into buying two chocolate muffins from the vending machine.  Apart from the cost of this, the bought muffins have an unfeasibly long shelf- life (what can they put in them?).  They are also so big, sweet and cloying that they only get half eaten and the rest ends up stamped into the carpet in my car.

So, yesterday I planned ahead and made these with the help of the youngest. They take ten minutes to make and ten minutes to cook and are light and fluffy. Being smaller, two can be eaten in succession without too many crumbs ending up on the floor. Happiness all round.

You can make them into double chocolate muffins like I have by adding chunkily chopped chocolate into the mix, or you can leave this out.  The big lumps of squidgy chocolate are very tasty though.

Dry ingredients
125g plain flour
25g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder

Wet ingredients
1 egg
50g sugar
25g butter, melted
100ml milk

50g chocolate chopped

Method

The key to a good muffin is not to over mix and I have taken on board Delia Smith’s tip that the dry ingredients benefit from being sifted twice to maximise the air in the mix.

Sift the dry ingredients together into a bowl.  In another large bowl mix together all of the wet ingredients. Sift the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients and add the chopped chocolate.  Mix very briefly, for no more than 15 seconds.  It will look as if you haven’t mixed it properly, don’t worry because it should look like this.

Spoon heaped teaspoonfuls into 12 fairy cake cases in a patty tin. Place in a preheated oven at 180°c, gas mark 4 or near the top of the Baking Oven of the Aga for 8-10 minutes until firm on top.  Place the cakes on a wire rack to cool.

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25 thoughts on “Mini chocolate muffins”

  1. Kath – my daughter Ciara is in Girl Scouts and she’s next to bring in the snack for their meeting. These will be just perfect! I love the fact that they are quick to make – Ciara can make them when she gets home from school! Hope it makes enough for us to sample too 🙂

    On a completely different note – I’ve notices several recipes that call for Spelt flour – what is this? I’ve never noticed it in the supermarkets this side of the atlantic. Is it like a wheatflour? Can I substitute for it?

    1. I hope Ciara enjoys making them and sharing them. I like that idea of every girl scout taking their turns in bringing in the snack.
      On spelt flour- it’s a 100% wholegrain flour, and it has a delicious nutty taste. You could of course substitute with wholemeal flour or indeed use plain all purpose flour in its place. I started substituting different flours after reading Choclette’s Chocolate Log Blog (you will find the link to her site in my Blogroll). Choclette cooks mostly with wholegrain flours (and all sorts of others, such as coconut flour) so now if I think a recipe for biscuits or cakes can take it I just fiddle around with different flours or use ground almonds in their place. If you can’t find spelt look out for other wholegrain flours and have a play around with recipes. It can give a different texture to the one you were expecting, but I have never had anything inedible yet. I have tried buckwheat and kamut in recipes too with success, but spelt is definitely my favourite.

  2. This clinches it, you are the queen of chocolate. I just printed off this recipe to make later. I think they will be just the treat for my son’s girlfriend who is flying in tonight on business–from a lovely warm climate to snow and cold.
    However, my “mini muffin tins” pale in comparison to your “fairy cake cases in a patty tin.” Sigh, I want to come back as a British woman.

    1. Ha ha, that has made me giggle. I should have thought of mini muffin tins – much more international. I hope they work well and that she enjoys them. I hope she makes the best of the weather too if possible. I do seem to be eating a lot of chocolate lately, when all around me are eating far more healthily. I am always out of step with fashion:)

  3. I’m sure your muffins taste heaps better than any bought plastic ones. I find, if ever I’m caught out and have to eat something like that, it’s best not to look at the ingredients list – it’s just too awful.

    Looks like you might be stealing my chocolate title 😉

  4. Pingback: Sticky Lemon Cake | The Ordinary Cook

  5. Thank you so much for this recipe! I have very picky children when it comes to food and they loved them, exactly 24 beautiful and yummy muffins as says on the recipe I guarantee they wont last! thanks again

  6. After seeing this recipe and all the positive comments, I made these yesterday. I followed the recipe exactly but was disappointed with the results. I bake regularly and always like trying out new recipes to add to my recipe book. They weren’t horrible but I’ve had better… Maybe my standards are too high. I’m sure kids would eat these without complaining though, so they do the job they were intended for.

    1. Hi Sarah Jane, I am sorry you were disappointed with them. I enjoy them, as they aren’t overly sweet but have a good chocolatey kick. But everyone’s tastes differ. Best wishes Kath

  7. Just discovered this wonderfully easy recipe….made them already……trying VERY hard not to eat them all!! They taste fantastic, speshly straight out the oven with the warm choccy chips oozing out!! OMG heaven!! Thankyou so much, i love em!!

  8. I was just wondering if the amount of butter is correct at 25g for 150g of dry ingredients. It doesn’t seem much compared with other recipes I’ve looked at. I want to make a big batch – half double choc and half white choc and raspberry – by doubling the egg mix and using half with each of dry ingredients and am not sure if 50g butter will be enough. I will go ahead anyway but just wanted reassurance😄

    1. Hi Barbara, Yes the 25g works fine. It is a muffin rather than a fairy cake or cupcake, which means that the ratios are a bit different. You will find that once you add the egg and the milk with the butter that you get a good texture. Your added extras sound lovely, let me know how they turn out. Remember to be light of hand with the mixing, undermixing is better than overtaxing. Best wishes Kath

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