Chocolate Orange Muffin

I borrowed this cookbook (Gale Gand's Brunch!: 100 Fantastic Recipes for the Weekend's Best Meal) from the library a few months back and have been using this recipe whenever I want to make some muffins. I feel that the sour cream really makes the muffins soft and moist. And since I still have some leftover sour cream from a strawberry cheesecake I made over the weekend, these were my end products.

I top them with a few slices of mandarin oranges, walnut and a small dollop of whipped cream (flavoured with orange essence) so that they will look nicer. I managed to make about 24 mini ones, and 5 regular muffins with this recipe. 

For the muffins: (makes 18 regular muffins)

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) butter

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon orange extract

2 tablespoon orange zest

1 ¼ cup sour cream

Optional:

1 cup chopped walnut

1. Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Line muffin tins.
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until it is light and fluffy; then add the sugar and mix well.
4. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, and then mix in the vanilla extract, orange extract and orange zest.
5. Add a third of the dry ingredients and mix until barely combined. Then mixed in a third of the sour cream. Repeat until all the dry ingredients and sour cream are added and mixed until just combined.
6. Mix in the walnut if you are adding them.
7. Scoop the batter into the lined muffin tins, filling them about ¾ full. Bake for 18-20min, or until an inserted cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
8. When cooled, decorate as desired. 

Even though the recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, I only use about ¾ cup, and I find the sweetness just nice for me. And I have a sweet tooth.

Speaking of strawberry cheesecake, I have had a chance to bake one tray for a BBQ lunch, but I did not manage to take any pictures. Let’s hope there are more opportunities in the future for me to share the calories with everyone. =)