Day #51: Frosted Chocolate Orange Muffins

Today, I made Frosted Chocolate Orange Muffins, quite a unique combination, but quite tasty too. The Citrus addition gave your ordinary chocolate muffin a flavor burst and made them extra sweet.

Tomorrow's Muffin: Moist Orange & Almond


Frosted Chocolate Orange Muffins

Ingredients:
oil or melted butter, for greasing (if using)
2 oranges

about 1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
heaping 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 large eggs
strips of orange zest, to decorate

FOR THE FROSTING:

2 oz semisweet chocolate chips (1/4 cup)

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp water

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with 12 muffin paper liners.

Finely grate the rind from the oranges and squeeze the juice. Make up the juice to 1 cup with the milk and add the orange rind.

Sift together the flour, salt, cocoa, and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in the brown sugar and chocolate chips.

Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl, then beat in the milk and orange mixture, and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients. Stir gently until combined; do not overmix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until well risen and firm to the touch. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

To make the frosting, break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl, add the butter and water, and stand the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Stir constantly, until melted. Remove from the heat, sift in the confectioners sugar, and beat until smooth. While the frosting is still warm, spread it on top of the muffins, then decorate with strips of the orange zest.