Go Back
–+ servings
Print

Triple chocolate muffins

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 520 kcal
Author Food Thoughts

Ingredients

For the muffins

  • 175 g gluten-free self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 30 g Food Thoughts Organic 100% Cocoa Powder
  • 100 g Food Thoughts Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao Melts
  • 50 g caster sugar
  • 2 large free-range eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 75 ml vegetable oil
  • 70 ml milk
  • 2 ripe pears
  • 50 g Food Thoughts White Chocolate 35% Cacao Melts

For the poached pears

  • 1 ltr water
  • 300 g caster sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick (or cinnamon powder to taste)
  • 1 vanilla pod, or paste
  • 1 juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 ripe, but firm, pears

For the double chocolate topping

  • 140 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 50 g icing sugar
  • 2 tbsp Food Thoughts Organic 100% Cocoa Powder
  • 150 g Food Thoughts Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao Melts

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180oC/ Gas Mark 4. Place tulip-shaped muffin cases into the holes of a 12-hole muffin tin.

For the muffins:

  1. Chop the White Melts into small fragments, then set aside.

  2. Meanwhile, sieve the dry ingredients into a bowl). Stir in the sugar.

  3. Melt the Dark Cacao Melts in a microwave in 30-second increments until only just melted – stir to remove any remaining lumps. Leave to cool slightly.

  4. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs using a hand whisk, then add the vanilla, oil and milk. Add the melted chocolate and make sure it is properly combined.

  5. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry, but be careful not to over-mix as this will result in dense muffins. Chop the pears into small pieces (uncooked) and lightly mix these and the White Cacao Melt fragments into the mixture. Do not use an electric whisk or stand mixer.

  6. Divide the mixture between the muffin cases, then bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

For the poached pears:

  1. Place all the ingredients (other than the pears) into the water in a pan that is large enough to fit the pears so that they can be completely submerged.

  2. Peel the pears, leave them whole and add them to the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until just soft in the middle, 15-20 minutes. (It is important to keep the pears under the water so they do not brown. You can do this by topping the water with a piece of greaseproof or parchment paper). Do not overcook.

  3. Once cooked, remove the pan from the heat and set the pears (in the liquid) cool down.

  4. Remove the pears, blot dry with kitchen paper, then place in the fridge to chill further.

For the chocolate topping:

  1. Melt the Dark Cacao Melts in a microwaveable bowl or jug (in 30-second increments) until almost all melted. Stir to melt the remaining small pieces. Leave to cool for 5-10 minutes, but don't let it start to set.

  2. Beat the butter with a whisk or stand mixer until light in colour, then add the sieved icing sugar and cocoa powder. Mix in the melted Cacao Melts. Your topping should be soft but needs to hold its form so that you can pipe it.

  3. Put the topping in a piping bag and pipe swirls on top of the cooled muffins. Make the inside of the swirl higher than the outside so that you will be able to ‘sit’ your pears on top.

  4. Cut the chilled pears into quarters lengthways. Top each muffin with a segment of pear. Dust with cocoa powder.

Nutrition Facts
Triple chocolate muffins
Amount Per Serving
Calories 520 Calories from Fat 219
% Daily Value*
Fat 24.3g37%
Saturated Fat 12.5g78%
Sugar 55g61%
Protein 23g46%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.