MUCH ADO ABOUT MUFFINS PART V: IT'S MY ROUND

A quick post today considering the day that's in it tomorrow. I'll probably be going dark for the next few days, up to my elbows in cupcake batter and butter icing in time for Mothers Day (no breakfast in bed, sniff). I couldn't decide what I wanted to do for Patrick's Day or if I was going to do anything at all, being a total lightweight it's wasted on me. That was until I borrowed inspiration from Murphys' Brown Bread and Guinness Ice Cream. If those Murphys boys can Irish up ice-cream then I can Irish up a muffin.

So here it is; best quality cocoa, which incidentally Kieran Murphy tells us is good for us, Guinness, which the advertisers tell us is good for us and darkest bittersweet chocolate chunks, which everyone knows is good for us. I make mocha choc chip muffins for the business so it was a short step to replace the espresso with Guinness. And it works. No one would be able to guess the black stuff is in there but it leaves this elusive tang and damp richness that makes you want to keep eating just so you can try to figure the taste out. I was going to make a white chocolate cream cheese icing for the creamy head (no giggling at the back) but to be honest the whipped cream is enough, especially if you throw a little icing sugar and few drops of whiskey in there. I'll leave it to your own discretion.

Please enjoy these muffins responsibly.

CHOCOLATE & GUINNESS MUFFINS WITH IRISH WHISKEY CREAM

• 225g plain flour
• 100g caster sugar
• 65g demerera sugar
• 35g best quality cocoa
• 1 tsp bicarb of soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 60ml Guinness
• 120ml vegetable oil
• 120ml buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 150g dark chocolate, chopped
• 250ml double (or single) cream
• 1 tbls icing sugar
• a little whiskey

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C. Line a muffin tray with 12 paper cases. Place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk the Guinness, vegetable oil, buttermilk, egg and vanilla in a jug. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet mixture with a fork adding the chopped chocolate with the last few strokes. If I'm repeating myself forgive me but DO NOT OVERMIX. LUMPY IS GOOD! Divide the batter between the paper cases.
2. Bake the muffins for 20 minutes or until the tops are risen and spring back when lightly pressed. Whip the cream and icing sugar until soft peaks form (add the whiskey, if using, before whisking) and pile on top of the muffins.

Makes 12 muffins.

Comments

[Val]

Creamy Head!
Ms Boland!