Chocolate Muffins With Hot Chocolate Custard Recipes

CHOCOLATE MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 210°C / 410°F (190°C fan). Place shelf in the top 1/3 of the oven. Line a 12-hole standard muffin tin with paper cases.
• Sift Dry ingredients: Sift flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.
• Bloom cocoa: In a separate bowl, sift the cocoa then add coffee and HOT milk. Whisk until lump-free.
• Add remaining Wet ingredients: To the cocoa mixture, add sugar, oil, egg, sour cream and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
• Mix flour in: Pour Wet mix into the bowl holding the flour. Whisk until smooth and glossy. Stop once it's smooth, don't mix excessively. (Note 7)
• Add chocolate chips: Stir in most of the chocolate chips - reserve approx 1/4 cup for topping.
• Fill muffin tin: Divide the batter between the 12 holes, up to 0.5cm / 0.2" from rim of paper liner. (Note 8)
• Top with chocolate chips: Top muffins with reserved chocolate chips (just pile in middle, they spread when baked).
• Bake at high temp, 5 minutes: Bake for 5 minutes in preheated oven. The higher temp kick will start the rise.
• Lower oven, 20 minutes: Turn oven DOWN to 190°C / 375°F (170°C fan). Bake a further 20 minutes, checking at 15 minutes. When toothpick comes out clean they're ready. Don't confuse melted chocolate with raw batter!
• EAT! Rest in muffin tin for a few minutes, then transfer to cooling rack. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before devouring!

CHOCOLATE SPONGE WITH HOT CHOCOLATE CUSTARD

Steps:

• Cover the dates with boiling water and set aside to soften for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and line a 20 x 30cm baking tin with baking parchment. Drain the dates, reserving the liquid, then whizz the dates to a purée with 100ml of the soaking liquid.
• Beat the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric whisk until stiff peaks hold on the end of your whisk. Add half the sugar and beat until thick and glossy.
• In another bowl, beat the yolks and remaining sugar until pale. Whisk in the mashed date mixture, then fold into the egg white mixture until well combined. Mix the flour, baking powder and cocoa with a pinch of salt. Sprinkle over the wet mixture and very gently fold in until well combined. Gently scrape into the tin and spread to the edges. Bake for 35-40 mins until a skewer poked in comes out clean.
• Meanwhile, mix the custard powder, sugar and cocoa together in a saucepan. Stir in dribbles of milk until you get a smooth paste. Gradually add more milk until it's all incorporated with no lumps. Put over a medium heat and warm, stirring constantly, until thick and just bubbling.
• Cut the warm cake into slabs and pour over the hot chocolate custard to serve.