The Art of Simple Bites
Chocolate Marcona Mini Muffins
Chocolate Marcona Mini Muffins
These mini muffins received the highest form of praise: They were approved by Amelia and Deckard, the two kids of my dear friend. (They were even caught stealing away with a few, so they could share “the brownies” with their friends when their mom wasn’t looking.) These muffins veiled as brownies are tasty and somewhat wholesome, with a low sugar content and the addition of protein-packed almond meal. They make a great road trip snack and/or pair perfectly with a strong coffee as a whimsical, chocolaty breakfast treat.
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup almond meal
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I like Scharffen Berger or Valrhona for depth of flavor)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup Marcona almonds (see note)
- ¾ cup chocolate melting wafers
Print Recipe
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease 24 cups of mini muffin pans or line with mini muffin liners.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, almond meal, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Discard any large lumps of almond meal remaining in your sifter.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, brown sugar, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla until the mixture is uniform. Fold the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until the batter comes together. Gently fold in ¹/₃ cup of the almonds and the chocolate wafers into the batter.
- Scoop a heaping tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup. Top with the reserved ¹/₃ cup Marcona almonds, pressing the almonds gently into the top of the batter so they don’t pop out while baking.
- Bake the muffins for 12 to 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then gently remove the muffins and let them finish cooling on a wire rack.
NOTE: Marcona almonds are indeed more expensive than regular almonds. They have a salty decadence to them that is very distinctive. If you’d rather make your own, just toast raw almonds in a bit of olive oil over medium heat and sprinkle generously with flaky salt.
Make these chocolatey muffins right at home, and be sure to snap a photo to share on Facebook and Instagram with the hashtag #ALMbites.
For more delicious cooking ideas, visit americanlifestylemag.com/recipes.
Posted in Issue 85 Vol 1, Recipe on Jul 11, 2017