Double chocolate rye muffins

By: David Frenkiel, Luise Vindahl Andersen
From: Green Kitchen Travels
Makes: 12

‘We have a surprise for you,’ my parents told me. I was 10 years old and had spent my first two days in the USA inside our small hotel room in New York, suffering from a high temperature. From behind her back, my mum pulled out the biggest chocolate muffin I had ever seen. I had only known European muffins before and this was about three times bigger. I threw myself on it and somehow managed to eat the whole thing in no time. I remember lying on my bed with greasy chocolate fingers and a swollen belly, thinking that if all chocolate muffins were like this one, then I definitely had to move to New York City when I was older.

Our muffins are not as big but they are decadent enough to fill your belly, warm your heart, smudge your fingers with chocolate and put a broad smile on your lips. At a quick glance they look like the naughtiest treats in town, but they are actually pretty good for you – our muffins are stuffed with wholegrain rye, coconut milk and natural sweeteners. If you steal one straight from the oven, the bitter, dark chocolate will still be runny on the top ... and you don’t have to move to NYC to try it. — David

Dry ingredients

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
150g	wholegrain rye flour
125g	fine spelt flour
40g	raw cacao powder
or 40g	unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons	baking powder
1 teaspoon	bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon	coarse sea salt
100g	70% minimum cacao dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

Wet ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
3	eggs
250ml	full-fat coconut milk
150ml	maple syrup
150ml	cold-pressed olive oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cases.
Sift together the dry ingredients except the salt and chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Add half the sea salt and reserve the remainder for topping. Add half the chocolate and set the rest aside.
Beat the eggs in a separate bowl for about a minute. Then add the coconut milk, maple syrup and olive oil while constantly whisking. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and use a spatula to carefully fold everything until combined.
Divide the batter among the muffin cases and top with the remaining dark chocolate. Bake for about 18 minutes until well risen and spongey and the chocolate has melted. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining sea salt. The muffins are best enjoyed still warm from the oven, but they will keep for a week in an airtight container and they freeze well.

Tip

This recipe is a bit heavy on maple syrup, but it is needed to balance the bitterness from the rye and chocolate. You could replace some of it with a ripe banana or pear for a healthier and fruitier touch.