Double Chocolate Muffins

I’ve discovered a new phase.

You should know I get these by now 🙂

This time it’s Strawberry Oat Cluster cereal with natural yoghurt. I know why I haven’t tried it up until now, because every oat cluster cereal in the supermarket has nuts in and I can’t have them.

Why do companies assume that everyone wants nuts in their cereal?

Well the other day I found one without and it’s delicious. Now I can’t stop eating it, I’m not eating scones every day now, it’s cereal and yoghurt. Probably much better for me actually, I like when I have a healthy phase.

The only problem with this cereal is you seem to only be able to get it from Tesco. We don’t shop at Tesco and every oat cluster cereal in Sainbury’s, where we do shop, has nuts in.

I suppose I shouldn’t complain too much as we have three Tesco’s in Chelmsford. However, I don’t go there and it’s out of my way to go there when I get the rest of my shopping at Sainsbury’s. So please Sainsbury’s can you start stocking just one oat cluster cereal without nuts?

Rant over, I went to my new Uni yesterday, I’m still not sure I want to do it anymore, but I’m going to go and give it a go, think I’ll give it until Christmas then I’ll decide whether or not I’m going to continue. The course seems quite different to what I’ve done this year. They’ve already started on about a study trip that isn’t compulsory, but is “advised”. I can’t go away, my back and the amount of drugs I’m on won’t allow it and, more importantly, I transferred Uni’s so I can be home everyday, so I definitely won’t be out gallivanting in different countries.

Some of the projects from other students the lady showed me also didn’t seem to have any relation to Interior Design. One was a camera taken apart and stuck down in component pieces, sorry, but how is that going to help me design a house? It seems more commercial based, which is OK as I don’t really want to just to paint colours and cushions, but they seem more technical like that and then they show me things which have no relation so I’m struggling to work out what their direction is 🙁

I hate change, I don’t make friends easily so I’m nervous about being the new girl again and I am not your typical student, I don’t drink, smoke, go out etc. No, I’m not a recluse, but I’d rather go out for lunch with my friends than clubbing. In fact I can’t stand clubbing, I can count how many times I’ve been on one hand and I’m really in no rush to do it again. I find it hard to fit in with students, I’m not being stereotypical, but a lot I seem to meet want to go out drinking a lot, therefore we have different views on a lot of things and there isn’t much common ground if you get me?

I think it’s because I’m already in a settled place in my life, I don’t care that I have the life of a 30+ year old, I’m happy and I don’t care if people think I’m boring because I enjoy my life thank you.

So yeahhhhhhh, I’ll give it a go, but I’m not holding out much hope :/

The smell of chocolate makes me feel better though and these double chocolate muffins are so tasty. Hadn’t used this recipe before, but I’ll definitely be using it again as it yields moist, soft almost sticky muffins, just like you get in the shops. Best give you the recipe before I drool all over the keyboard…

You will need:

> 2 six hole or 1 twelve hole English muffin size tin (deeper than UK cupcake tins, sometimes US muffins are what we’d call cupcakes)

Print

Makes 12

Recipe from The Baking Book: The Ultimate Baker’s Companion (Good Housekeeping)

Ingredients:

> 125g butter
> 100g plain chocolate (the best you can afford, I always use Green and Blacks)
> 225g plain flour
> 1tsp bicarb
> 40g cocoa
> 175g caster sugar
> 200g white chocolate chips (or a bar chopped)
> 1 egg
> 200ml milk
> 150g natural yoghurt
> 1tsp vanilla extract

Method:

> Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C and line your muffin tin.
> Place the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt. You can either set it above some simmering water in a saucepan to melt or put it in the microwave. I always use the microwave, but you have to do it in 10-20 second increments and stir every time as it can burn very easily.
> Place to the side and leave to cool slightly.
> Sift the flour, bicarb and cocoa together in a the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl. Add in the caster sugar and white chocolate.

> Give it a brief mix just until evenly distributed.
> Place the egg, milk, natural yoghurt and vanilla extract in a jug and whisk together with a fork.
> Pour into your dry ingredients.

> Add in your melted chocolate.
> Mix until combined, do not be tempted to over mix, you don’t want light and fluffy with muffins.
> Split the batter between the muffin cases. You can make them pretty full, it doesn’t rise much.
> Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes until risen and a skewer poked in comes out clean. They should look domed and cracked on top.

> Remove from the pan as quickly as possible. Yes this usually involves lots of swearing as they’re still hot, but honestly getting them out almost immediately, I’ve found anyway, stops the papers peeling away from the muffin. Leave on a wire rack to cool completely. Will keep in an airtight container at room temp for 3 days.