Eggless Chocolate Orange Muffins

Eggless Chocolate Orange Muffins

I'll start off by telling you these muffins were born through a forgetful accident. It was Maudy Thursday and I had been out all day and by the time I had got the kids to bed it was quite late by the time I had started my baking list. I'd made the dough for the morning's hot cross buns and left it to prove but I also needed to make something to take with me to the football. I won't bore you with my footballing obsession except that Radio WDON provide radio commentary for AFC Wimbledon's match and are partial to a bit of cake. As I was going to one of the away matches I thought they may like a cake donation to keep them going through the trauma that is watching AFC Wimbledon this season.

So I made these muffins and took them out of the tray to cool on a wire rack. After the hot cross buns were baked I started to tidy everything away and that's when I noticed sitting on the side in the egg box was the egg that was meant to go into this recipe. I looked back at the cooling muffins and thought they looked fine. In fact this is the only muffin recipe I have ever made with or without egg that ever comes out looking like muffins. By this time it was too late to go out and get another orange so my husband offered to be first taster. We split one in half and I was very relived to discover they tasted delicious or as the Radio WDON commentator tweeted to me, “deee-lish”. He also told me he loved me - twice. We still haven't met...

These muffins do have a more heavier cake-like texture than other muffins, obviously due to them having no egg in them. However, if you are allergic to eggs, don't have any to hand or simply don't want egg in your recipe these really are a double chocolate delight with a good hit of orange.

Makes 12

Equipment: 12 cup muffin tin/pan, paper or silicone cases.

Ingredients

8oz (225g) Plain flour

2oz (55g) Cocoa powder

1 tbsp (15ml) Baking Powder

4oz (110g) Caster sugar

6 tbsp (90ml) Sunflower oil

7 fl oz (200ml) Milk

Zest and juice of 1 Orange

100g Dark chocolate either a bar smashed up or drops.

Method

1. Line the muffin tin with the cases.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6.

3. In a large bowl sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder.

4. Quickly add the remaining ingredients and mix together again just combined (i.e do not over mix or beat).

5. Put even amounts of the mixture into each of the cases.

6. Bake for around 15-18 minutes.

7. Once cooked leave to cool on a wire rack.