Muffins, I tend to think, are an overworked proposition. Too big, too doughy, too dry, it takes a brave and optimistic me to order one when I’m out.
SMXL, a cafe on Little Bourke St in Melbourne is one place where you can get a muffin with zero worries about any of the above. Theyre called “moaves” – muffins made in the shape of little loaves. Over the course of a couple of years of extensive research, and some experimentation, I came to understand what it takes to be a truly great breakfast treat, and the answer is a bit more surprising than you might think.
For one thing, nearly none of monster mass produced chunks of regret sitting on everyone’s cafe counters start with wholemeal flour. They probably don’t have coconut backing them up in the flavour and fibre department. And they’re probably not that low in butter, certainly not low enough to really justify those who like to spread more butter to what is ostensibly cake. But then they also never have an almost embarrassing abundance of raspberries, white chcooclate and dark chocolate. Hence the need for these Raspberry Double Chocolate Muffins in everyone’s lives.
And it’s this symmetry which makes the perfect muffin. What’s more, these Raspberry Double Chocolate muffins actually improve with age over up to four days. These guys are best served just above room temperature.
Slightly Wholesome Raspberry Double Chocolate Muffins
Makes 10-12 depending on size of pans. I use mini loaf pans, which makes 10.
ingredients
2 cups wholemeal flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup fine dessicated coconut
100g dark chocolate, chopped
80g white chcooclate, chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen raspberries
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tbsp butter, melted
mixing
Spray your muffin pans with non stick spray and dust with a little flour to help the Muffins release when cooked.
Combine all ingredients except eggs, milk and butter in a large bowl. Mix the eggs, milk and butter together, then tip over the dry ingredients. Using a large spoon, gently combine the wet and dry ingredients until only just combined – this makes the muffins nice and light. Spoon into the prepared pans.
Bake the muffins at 175 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes, until golden. Cool on a wire rack and turn out carefully (the Raspberry quotient makes these muffins a little brittle before they are completely cold.
