Recipe: Chocolate muffins

After a challenging cake like the Saint-Honoré, I needed both a break from complexity and a breakfast treat for the week to come.

That’s why I scoured the web to find the perfect recipe for chocolate muffins, one of my favourite pastries.

Of course, it’s practically impossible to find a recipe in grams for muffins, since they are an American product and Americans are perfectly fine with “random” volume measurements (I’m not!).

But I was craaaving for muffins and I was not willing to give up, so I just took my calculator and “translated” in grams a recipe that seemed good (source: Dough-Puncher).

It turned out I didn’t have all the ingredients (I had run out of cocoa powder and baking powder! No idea how that could happen, I’m still shocked) so I slightly modified the recipe and added melted chocolate.

The muffins came out slightly less tall than they should have been, but wooaah! These chocolate muffins were so rich and tender and moist! I could not stop eating them! (My step-by-step recipe below contains the right amount of baking powder, don’t worry…)

On a technical note, these muffins are very easy to make and they are prepared with the creaming method (also called “cake method”), following these steps:

First, the butter is creamed with the sugar for several minutes to incorporate air
Eggs are added
Finally the dry ingredients are gently incorporated alternately with the remaining liquids, like you would for a normal poundcake

Tip: try adding a melty, crunchy or fruity centre to the muffins, they will be so delicious you’ll fall off your chair!

Chocolate muffins

Print recipe

Ingredients

115g	Unsalted butter (room temperature)
170g	Granulated sugar
1/2	Vanilla bean seeds (or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract)
2	Eggs
60g	Chocolate (melted and brought at 30°C)
10g	Baking powder
50g	Unsweetened cocoa powder
1 pinch	Salt
250g	Pastry flour
240g	Milk
80g	Sour cream or heavy cream
130g	Chocolate chunks
15g	Whte chocolate (chopped - optional)

Directions

Cream the diced butter, granulated sugar and vanilla seeds for at least 10 minutes at medium speed with the paddle attachment, until the mixture becomes airy and whiter. Scrape the bowl down frequently.

Add one egg at a time while mixing continuously

Incorporate the melted chocolate (cooled down)

Sift all the powders together (flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt) twice. Incorporate them gently in three times into the batter using a spatula and performing an upward movement...

...alternating them with the liquids (milk and cream)

When all the ingredients are combined, fold in the chocolate chunks

Using a piping bag (or a spoon) fill the muffin cups halfway, then add the white chocolate (or whatever you want as filling, e.g. a raspberry)

Continue filling the muffin cups almost up to the top then bake for 26-28 minutes at 180°C or until a toothpick comes out clean (a little melted chocolate is fine - the toothpick may hit a melted chocolate chunk).

Note

Creaming the butter is useful to incorporate air in the batter, so don't tap the pan once it's filled, to prevent air from escaping
The chocolate chunks should ideally not be made of "couverture" chocolate, since it melts more easily while baking. Add some chocolate chunks on the top of the muffins after filling the cups.
You can use parchment paper squares instead of silicone cups
These muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.