Orange-Chocolate Muffins...

Now that we are all in the baking mode, here is a muffin I use to make at the Ridgefield Coffee Company, where I was chef for several years. It was always a success due to the lightness, its flavor and its combination of ingredients. I usually make this during the holidays to accompany my morning coffee. These delicious breakfast muffins are best eaten warm from the oven. The addition of yogurt makes these muffins wonderfully moist and soft – enjoy!



Orange-Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients:
2 whole oranges quartered & seeded
2 large eggs
14 tablespoons butter, melted& cooled
1 cup chocolate chips
4 cups plain yogurt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¾ cup sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and grease two 12 muffin pans.

Blend the whole oranges in the food processor — skin and everything. Add the eggs and melted butter. Combine the mixture, but do not over-process. Place it in a large bowl with the chocolate chips. Mix the yogurt, lemon juice and sugar together in a bowl. Sift the dry ingredients into another bowl. Add the yogurt mixture and the dry ingredients to the orange mixture, alternating small amounts of each. Just blend with the lightest movement — do not over-mix. Place 2 tablespoons of batter in the prepared muffin pans.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the muffins comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes and then cool on a wire rack. The muffins will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container. These muffins also freeze very well.

Makes 24 muffins

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George’s notes:

• The Ridgefield Coffee Company (CT) was a wonderful gourmet coffee shop, per Starbuck’s moving east. There we offered just breakfast and lunch ~ with amazing desserts, croissants, pains au chocolat, scones and a wide assortments of cakes and pies.
• If you are planning to travel with these muffins, pack them carefully because they do squash out of shape easily.