Chocolate Chip Orange Muffins

It’s Friday. Let me share some true things with you.

These things are true:

I love taking walks outside the office in the middle of the day just to stare at the sky. When I reach the end of the street I can see the city and I believe if I squint hard enough I can see Chris working busily away in his office.

Our maintenance man, Ted, is the sweetest gentleman I have ever met. Every time he comes into the office he gives me a hug and sometimes it’s the best thing about those 9 ½ hours.

I will never be a size 0. I cannot give up the chocolate, the cookies, the fun. I’m okay with that.

I drink my green tea sweetened with Splenda. I figure that the antioxidants cancel out the chemicals, and it keeps me insulated against the arctic air-conditioning.

When I finish an especially awesome run I really want to burst into a song and dance routine at the end, but I would probably fall over. Also, dogs would howl.

Sometimes when I sit down to study I have to bribe myself with something fun to do or yummy to eat after doing an appropriate amount of work. Sometimes this bribery takes the form of muffins.

Truth: these muffins are the second time I have tried to make Chocolate Chip Orange Muffins to share with you. My first trial on Monday was a disaster. This is what happens when you try to cook without using a scale and just guess-timating ingredients because you really, really want muffins. Lesson learned.

I bought a new scale! So last night I stepped back into the kitchen appropriately armed. I had run, washed, and was setting out to bake in order to bribe myself into sitting down to write after dinner.

This time: success! With the muffins and the writing. I won’t bore you with the writing part, but the muffins are tender of crumb, scented with orange zest, and studded with little dark chocolate morsels. I used a bar of dark chocolate, but you can use chips instead if you would like, or substitute milk chocolate if you aren’t a fan of dark. The rest of these have been safely wrapped up for a weekend breakfast or midweek snack…or for bribery tactics when needed…

Gluten Free. Makes 12 large muffins.

I used Woolworths Free From Gluten Plain Flour because I spotted it in the supermarket last week and really wanted to try it out. You can of course use your own favourite gluten free mix, or feel free to use the same weight of plain wheat flour instead.

Ingredients

• 270 grams plain gluten free flour
• 80 grams fine polenta (cornmeal)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ¾ cup milk
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Zest of 2 oranges
• 100 grams dark chocolate, chopped

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 190C (375F) and line a 12-hole muffin tin with papers.
2. In a large bowl whisk together plain flour, polenta, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, caster sugar, olive oil, milk, orange juice, vanilla extract, and zest. Beat until smooth.
4. Stir wet mixture into flour mixture and stir until just combined.
5. Fold in chopped dark chocolate.
6. Spoon into prepared muffin tins. Fill each cup about 2/3 of the way.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes away with a few moist crumbs.
8. Remove and allow to cool.
9. Muffins are best eaten the day of baking. Well wrapped these will keep for 2 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or up to 2 months if frozen.

Okay, dear reader, your turn, what are some true things about you? Do you ever resort to bribing yourself? Any plans for the weekend?