Ingredients
2 cups plain flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 level teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon mixed spice
¼ cup raw caster sugar
zest of one orange
½ cup milk chocolate melts, broken into smaller pieces
⅓ cup almond oil (or vegetable oil)
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
Topping
3 tablespoons raw caster sugar
1 level teaspoon cinnamon
extra chocolate melts, for crosses
Method
Pre-heat oven to 200ºC. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan using greaseproof paper and a little melted butter.
Sift flour, baking powder, salt and spices into a bowl. Add sugar, orange zest and chopped chocolate melts, and stir to combine. In another bowl place the oil, egg and buttermilk and combine using a whisk or fork. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, pour in the liquid and fold gently to just combine.
Place dessert spoonfuls of the mixture into the muffin cups, and cover the top of each one with some of the topping mix.
Bake for 5 minutes at 200ºC, then reduce heat to 180ºC and continue cooking for 15 minutes. When cooked, remove from oven and turn out onto a cooling rack. When cool, form a cross on top of each muffin, using the end of a handle of a teaspoon dipped in melted chocolate melts.
Hints: Other ingredients can be added to muffins such as sultanas, blueberries or raspberries, chopped dried apricots or dates, flaked almonds or chopped walnuts, mashed banana.. Buttermilk (or sour cream) results in a lighter muffin. When using baking powder, make sure it is not out of date. Also when cooking the muffins, by starting off with a higher heat, the muffins will rise better.