Hi guys, I’m still away in Perth, but my sister Beth was kind enough to write a guest post for spicyicecream, along with a recipe for some totally delicious chocolate muffins. She’s a sweetheart. Enjoy!
For a while now, my sister has been asking me to do a guest post here on her blog; So while Lisa is holidaying once again with her beloved in Perth, I have grabbed the opportunity. My name is Beth, Lisa’s younger sister (although I am quite smug that I can call her my “little sister” because I am taller than her by quite a few inches).
I can remember so many things that I shared with Lisa when I was growing up. Despite the five year age gap, we are actually quite close, having shared a room for quite a few years. I look back fondly on the nights where neither of us could sleep, so we’d just talk about random things, until she fell asleep when I was in the middle of a sentence…
It was, and still is, a regular thing to cook with Lisa. I’ve watched her grow and develop her kitchen skills, just as she’s watched me, and of course, encouraged her undying love for anything to do with food. Seriously though, if she mentions a Kitchen-Aid one more time…
Surprisingly, neither of us have ever started a food fight, but the kitchen benches still get their regular dose of chocolate or flour. Instead, Lisa and I have declared “Food War”. In an attempt to make her jealous, I sent her a picture of the lamb shish that I was about to devour at Erciyes Restaurant in Surry Hills. She then responded with a picture of her own dinner, which got the ball rolling of “whose is more delicious”.
As a way of competing with all of the delightful things I’m sure she will post about from Perth, I made the ultimate chocolate muffins…and they are AMAZING. The soft and fluffy top with the slightly oozy centre, make these the best muffins I have ever baked in my life! The only thing I would do different ? Have Lisa by my side when making them.
Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Makes 12
Recipe from ‘Baking From My Home to Yours’ by Dorie Greenspan
• 80g unsalted butter
• 115g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¼ cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Line 12-hole muffin tray with paper cases.
Melt the butter and half of the chopped chocolate together in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from the heat. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract together until well combined. Pour the liquid ingredients and melted butter and chocolate mixture over the dry ingredients and with a whisk or rubber spatula, stir gently but quickly to blend.
Stir in the remaining chocolate. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.