White Chocolate Muffins

This week I have been doing a spot of baking - a rare occasion for me but I figured I'd step out of my usual comfort zone and whip up some delicious and ridiculously simple white chocolate muffins. The addition of berries in these muffins make them ever so slightly "healthy" too. My advice on these ones - get the ingredients, pop on an apron and whip up a batch of my delicious white chocolate berry muffins!

sponsored by SloFoodGroup, Florida

Why My Family Loves These Chocolate Muffins

Taste. They are so frickin good! That's defo the main reason they like them but there are other reasons too. Simplicity. These white chocolate muffins are so simple to make that my 4 and a half-year-old can pretty much do it herself. Speed. It's not long before the aroma in your home is of delicious melted white chocolate and warming berry flavours. Everyday Ingredients. There is nothing out of the norm here. In fact, all but the sour cream was already in my fridge, pantry or freezer. Peace & Quiet. Once the white chocolate and raspberry muffins are made then you can kick back with a cup of tea or warm milk and enjoy the fruits of your labour!

White Chocolate & Berry Muffin Ingredients

As mentioned the beauty is in its simplicity! Let's start with the chocolate - I am a white chocolate fan and much prefer it with mixed berries. I have used Lindt white chocolate and Cadburys white chocolate and had great results with both. I am a fan of using the bars and cutting them into irregular sized pieces. Berries (see below).

Pantry staples such as eggs, flour, salt, baking powder & castor sugar need no introduction. Lemon zest - seems odd but trust me. That little zing of lemon really lifts the flavour. Let's be honest who doesn't have a lemon in the fridge these days for a G&T... Sour cream, adds a delicious creamy tang to the muffins and helps them from drying out too.

Vanilla, for those of you who have read more than this 1 recipe you will notice I prefer using vanilla beans over essence. I get some CRAZY good beans from the guys over at SloFoodGroup and would defo recommend getting some too! Oil, usually people use vegetable oil in baking but I am a fan of using olive oil as it's healthier and simply tastier too. Just substitute the same quantities and you are sorted!

What Berries Can I Use?

So as discussed these are white chocolate muffins but anyone who has been to a bakery will know that the best white chocolate muffins come with berries in them too. The sweetness of the sugar and white chocolate is balanced by the tartness in the berries. For my homemade white chocolate muffins, I used frozen mixed berries (blackberries, strawberries, raspberries & blueberries) but the truth is you can use any berries you want. Think white chocolate & raspberry muffins or white chocolate & strawberry muffins - heck why not make a double batch and put different berries in each one 😉

Filling The Muffin Tins

If you are feeling "lazy" and letting your child do all the work then stick with good old cupcake/muffin holders. Fill them 3/4 full and job is done. If you are feeling a little "fancy" then cut some baking paper into squares and use these. This will allow you to fill the muffins a little fuller as the paper will protect them from spilling over. The one thing I will say is it's a little trickier (but not hard).

The key is to not fill every muffin hole - do every second one so there is room to work with. Start by placing the paper over the muffin hole and using a spoon (filled with white chocolate & berry muffin filling) push the middle of the paper down into the hole. The filling will form the shape of the muffin and job done. It defo looks a little more "restaurant quality" but I appreciate it's a little extra work too!

Storing White Chocolate Raspberry Muffins

Once baked, leave them cool in the tray for 2-3 minutes. This allows them to set a little before your greasy fingers wanna dive right in 😉 The last thing you want is to take out the muffin and for it to fall apart. Once removed from the tray allow to cool on a wire rack.

White chocolate & raspberry muffins will keep for up to 4 days stored at room temperature. The best way to store them is in an airtight container with a layer of paper towel on the top & bottom. This helps soak up the moisture. Without the paper towel, they still keep for the same amount of time but they end up being a little sticky/soggy. If you store them in the fridge the texture of them alters and I find they become a little harder personally.

Truthfully, the best thing to do with delicious homemade muffins is to share them with friends and neighbours - Martin, if you are reading this you know who I am talking about;)

Alternative Muffin Recipes

Orange & Poppy Seed Muffins by Sylvie Gruber of 'A Baking Journey'

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins (dairy free) by Kylie Archer of 'Kidgredients'

Pear & Walnut Muffins by Holly Connors of 'Simply Create Inspire'

The BEST Chocolate Muffins by Alexandra Cook of 'It's Not Complicated'

Banana & Cinnamon Muffins by Keeley Spencer of 'KJS Food Journal'

Happy Cooking & Happy Eating Friends!!!!