Chocolate Mini Muffins with
Toasted Hazelnuts
These were
invented specifically for children to make for the 1997 Comic Relief campaign
with red cherries on top. This is a more adult version, but children can still
make them using chocolate drops for melting and cherries instead of nuts.
Serves : Makes 24
Ingredients:
2oz / 50g Dark Chocolate (75%
Cocoa Solids), roughly chopped
5oz / 150g Plain Flour
2 Level tbsp
Cocoa Powder
1 Level
Dessertspoon Baking Powder
¼ Level tsp Salt
1 Large Egg, lightly
beaten
1½oz / 40g Golden
Caster Sugar
4 floz / 120ml Milk
2oz / 50g Butter,
melted and cooled slightly
FOR THE TOPPING:
2oz / 50g Hazelnuts, roughly
chopped
3oz / 75g Dark
Chocolate (75% Cocoa Solids), broken into pieces
Instructions:
1.
Pre-heat
the oven to Gas Mark 6 / 400°F / 200°C.
2.
You need
to begin this recipe by toasting the hazelnuts for the
topping. To do this, place the chopped nuts on a baking
sheet and toast them in the pre-heated oven for 5 minutes; it's important to
use a timer here.
3.
Next, for
the muffins, start off by sifting the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder
and salt into a large
bowl.
4.
Then, in a
separate bowl, mix together the egg, sugar, milk and melted butter.
5.
Now return
the dry ingredients to the sieve and sift them straight on to the egg mixture
(this double sifting is essential because there won't be much mixing going on).
6.
What you
need to do now is take a large spoon and fold the dry ingredients into the wet
ones – quickly, in about 15 seconds. Don't be tempted to beat or stir, and
don't be alarmed by the rather unattractive, uneven appearance of the mixture:
this, in fact, is what will ensure that the muffins stay light.
7.
Now fold
the chopped chocolate
into the mixture – again with a minimum of stirring; just a quick folding in.
8.
Divide the
mixture between the muffin cups, about 1 heaped teaspoon in each, and bake on a
high shelf of the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes, until well risen.
9.
Then
remove the muffins from the oven and cool in the tins for 5 minutes before
transferring them to a cooling tray.
10.
While
they're cooling, make the topping. To do this, place the broken-up chocolate in a small
heatproof bowl, which should be sitting over a saucepan of barely simmering
water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water.
11.
Then,
keeping the heat at its lowest, allow the
chocolate to melt slowly – it should take about 3 minutes to melt and
become smooth and glossy.
12.
Then
remove it from the heat and give it a good stir, then let the chocolate cool for 2
– 3 minutes.
13.
Then, when
the muffins are cool enough to handle, spoon a little melted chocolate on to each
one, then place it back on the cooling tray and scatter the hazelnuts over the
top of each muffin.
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