Monday 2 May 2011

Nigella's Chocolate Chip Muffins

ANOTHER cake sale at work tomorrow, so I knocked up a batch of these in no time at all - we pinched 2 to take on a picnic in the lovely spring sunshine.  Commercially-made chocolate muffins are always such a disappointment - overly-sweet and unpleasantly chewy with a 'clarty' texture in the mouth.  These, however, are light and moist and not too sweet (admittedly, I cut the quantity of sugar down to 125g).  I also used a mixture of white and milk choc chunks (Waitrose Essential Cook's range do brilliant ones).  This recipe also has the advantage of using oil instead of butter, so not quite as naughty as they might otherwise be.  Here is Nigella's recipe:

250g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
2 tablespoons best quality cocoa
175g caster sugar (I used 125g)
150g chocolate chips (plus more for sprinkling later)
250ml milk
90ml vegetable oil (I used sunflower)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
Here’s How:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan) and fill a 12-bun muffin tray with paper cases.
2. Weigh out the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Pour all the liquid ingredients into a measuring jug
3. Mix both together – it will be a runny batter - then spoon into waiting muffin cases. - note: don't over-mix at this stage, better to have the batter a bit lumpy than to beat it, which makes the muffins heavy
4. Sprinkle more chocolate chips on top then cook for 20 minutes or until the muffins are risen and springy.
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5 comments:

  1. Maria♥3 May 2011 at 21:59

    I made these today too! I bet the addition of the milk and white choc chunks made them really yummy.

    Maria
    x

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  2. maggiedon4 May 2011 at 20:35

    Hi Maria, it did! Especially the next day when reheated for 30 seconds in the microwave - the chunks went nice and gooey again

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  3. laputain4 May 2011 at 22:25

    i've been on the hunt for a decent choc chip muffin recipe for some time, I don't know how I missed Nigella!! WIll have to give these a go. Also, my muffins have tended to come out heavy in the past (even though I knew muffin batter was supposed to be lumpy)...perhaps this is something to look out for.

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  4. maggiedon6 May 2011 at 12:51

    Helen, they were very light, even the next day. Very good recipe and very popular at work, the first things to disappear from the cake sale. You DO need a light hand with the folding, though, that's why you need to have all the liquid amalgamated separately (I should have said that you need to whisk the eggs and milk together) and added in one foul swoop, as it were. Mix with your biggest metal spoon. Then stop mixing when it is more or less incorporated. Be brave!

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  5. maggiedon5 June 2011 at 14:22

    so, just knocked up another batch of these in 10 minutes flat, for the local Big Lunch being held in the fields behind us. This really is my new favourite recipe for quick and easy baking. Nice one, Nigella!

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