These Muffins are dense but moist, packed with dark chocolate, with a hint of orange and vanilla flavor, and the nuttiness from the spelt flour. They are so good, making breakfast still my favorite meal of the day.
I've always suffered from headaches, bad ones, and frequent. Sometimes they turn into migranes, sometimes not, often they start at night and I wake up with a hammer pounding and pulsing on my forehead. Sometimes the headache stays for a couple days and seems like it doesn't want to leave, even with medication. There are times, though, that it just dissipates soon after having breakfast, making it for me just another good reason to love breakfast.
I always take time to sit and enjoy a good, satisfying, -usually sweet- breakfast, mostly made of fresh baked goods. These Dark Chocolate Orange Muffins, well wrapped and frozen, are going to be my breakfast on some of my lonely Roman days. I miss sitting down at breakfast with my husband so much! It is our time to plan, discuss, arrange, reflect, on topics on hand, while sipping on a good coffee and savoring our latest production: scones, muffins, pancakes, waffles, french toasts, scrambled eggs, biscuits, omelettes, eggs benny, and loaves. Waking up in our house is fantastic!
Back from work I set myself in motion. I want to bake muffins!
I have a set of silicone muffin cups bought in Brussels years ago, and I simply love them. You don't need to grease or line them, plus they bake wonderfully and are also colorful and cute-looking. As for the ingredients, I want to use organic spelt flour mixed with all-purpose flour; I have juicy organic Sicilian oranges; some whipping cream and sour cream left from when I made the Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake, an organic, fair trade, raw cane sugar and dark chocolate chips. Trust me, the combination orange-dark chocolate is a-ma-zing!
The Dark Chocolate Orange Muffins are out of the oven, as usual I don't even wait for one to cool down, I break it open, chocolate running and staining my fingers and lips, eyes rolling in pure delight. They are so good! Dense but moist, packed with dark chocolate, with a hint of orange and vanilla flavor, and the nuttiness from the spelt flour. I guess I told you that I love spelt flour and all the other ancient grains and gluten-free flours. But spelt flour still remains my long time favorite. You can easily substitute it completely without compromising the overall texture, or start by adding it gradually while cutting down the all-purpose flour in your baked goods.
This recipe is going to be a keeper, making breakfast still my favorite meal of the day. By the way, I wasn't selfish, I brought some to work and I shared them with my co-worker. She loved them, and asked me to bake a batch for her family. Such a confidence boost, receiving positive feedback 😉 .
Bring some sunshine in your mornings, with these Dark Chocolate Orange Muffins. And let me know if you try this recipe, I'd love to hear your feedback.
Song of the day: Malika Ayane, "Feeling better".
PrintDark Chocolate Orange Muffins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
Ingredients
- 150 g all purpose flour
- 150 g organic spelt flour
- 100 g organic raw cane sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 Tbsp orange zest (1 big orange or 2 small)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 80 ml orange juice (1 big orange or 2 small)
- 100 g sour cream
- 100 g whipping cream
- 2 organic free range eggs
- 60 g vegetable oil (I used peanut oil) or melted butter
- ¾ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a muffin pan or individual muffin cups.
- In a medium bowl mix the sifted flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl mix well the eggs with the sugar, sour cream, whipping cream, oil or butter, Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing lightly, just until the flour is no longer visible. Do not overmix!
- At the end add the chocolate chips, previously tossed lightly in the flour.
- Fill the muffin cups with batter and bake in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until nice and golden brown on top and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let cool on a griddle (but they're awesome warm, when the chocolate just melts in your hands and mouth).
Notes
They can be frozen, individually wrapped in plastic, and then warmed up in the oven ready for breakfast.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ricetta in italiano:
PrintMuffins al cioccolato fondente e arancia
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
Ingredients
- 150 g farina 00
- 150 g farina di farro integrale
- 100 gi zucchero di canna
- 1 cucchiaino di lievito
- ½ cucchiaino di bicarbonato
- un pizzico di sale
- 1 cucchiaio di scorza d’arancia (1 arancia grande o 2 piccole)
- 1 cucchiaino di estratto di vaniglia
- 80 ml di succo d’arancia
- 100 g di panna acida
- 100 g panna liquida
- 2 uova da allevamento a terra
- 60 g olio di arachidi o burro fuso
- gocce di cioccolato a volontà
Instructions
- Mescolate le farine, il lievito, sale e bicarbonato setacciati in una ciotola.
- In un’altra ciotola mescolate bene le uova con lo zucchero, la panna acida, la panna, l'olio o il burro fuso, il succo e la scorza d’arancia e la vaniglia.
- Versate gli ingredienti liquidi in quelli secchi e mescolate solo fino a quando gli ingredienti non saranno amalgamati.
- Aggiungete le gocce di cioccolato, precedentemente infarinate.
- Versate l’impasto nei pirottini e cuocete a 180° per circa 15-20 min facendo prima la prova stuzzicadenti.
Notes
Se ben avvolti nella plastica i muffins, una volta cotti e raffreddati, possono essere surgelati e poi riscaldati in forno per averli pronti a colazione.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
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I love baking and kneading dough because it takes me to a happy place in my soul.
karrie @ Tasty Ever After says
I know exactly what you are talking about on the headaches because I get them too, but mostly it's related to allergies and sinus issues. Right now I have a head cold and every morning I've woken up with a blinding headache. Ugh! Here's wishing we never have head pain again!
I love eating chocolate for breakfast so these muffins are a keeper for me. I will make a big ol' batch of these and eat them for breakfast, then again for an afternoon snack, and then again as dessert that evening. I guess I better triple the recipe when I make them 😉
Hi Karrie, too bad that you suffer from headaches too! But hooray for chocolate! 🙂 Yes, make a big batch, they're sooo good. You can also skip the spelt flour and use all-purpose. Ciao!
Julia says
I saw these the other day and though about how wonderful they look. I said to myself that I am going to make them. Chocolate is simply one of the best things ever! Lovely post.
Thank you Julia! They are really good, as all things chocolate for me 🙂 .
Vicky Chin says
Chocolate and orange are 2 of my favourites!
Looks really yummy, I have never used cane sugar to bake, will definitely try it out!
I find chocolate and orange to be one of the best combination! I think the correct name is turbinado sugar, it is sugar-cane based and minimally refined. I like it a lot in baking. Thank you for stopping by!
Mel @ The Refreshanista says
Ohhhh! These look so good! I love orange and dark chocolate together 🙂 these muffins would be so good with a big cup of coffee.
Thank you Mel! They are good with a big cup of coffe and also with a nice cappuccino (as I like to have them) in the morning 🙂 .
Joyce says
This looks great! Love the combo of dark chocolate and orange!!
Thanks so much Joyce! The combo dark chocolate/orange is fantastic, but what makes the flavor is also the spelt flour. I love spelt flour!
Janice says
Based on your breakfast description, waking up in your house sounds magical! I don't often combine chocolate and orange in baked goods. I don't know why because these look great 🙂
Thank you Janice, for your comment. I know, it sounds magical and it is! I am a "breakfast monster" 😉 . Try the combo dark chocolate and orange, you will love it.