Double Chocolate Almond Raisin Muffins & A Giveaway

I've had a pretty busy couple of weeks recently, there has been some very grown-up stuff happening (words like mortgage! Solicitors! Conveyancing!), and some not-so-grown-up stuff (epic pirate cake baking!), as well as several friends coming to stay; so unfortunately I've had very little time for blogging and my social media has been thoroughly neglected. I thought I would ease back into things with something simple - double chocolate almond raisin muffins, because muffins are some of the easiest things you can make.

The flavour of these muffins is inspired by some chocolate that I was sent to try by Divine, their new dark chocolate with almonds and raisins - basically a classy version of a fruit and nut bar; it certainly didn't last long let me tell you! (Nor did the other bars I was sent...). Divine are also very kindly giving away a load of chocolate bars to one lucky reader - a dark chocolate collection and a milk and white chocolate collection; make sure to enter the giveaway at the bottom of this post for your chance to be bathing in chocolate!

The muffins are really quick and easy to make, it is a simple matter of mixing the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet in another then stirring them together and adding some dark chocolate, almonds and raisins. I made six jumbo muffins, though you could make eight smaller ones if you prefer. They make a brilliant snack or decadent breakfast although they are best eaten on the day they are made, like most muffins they go stale quickly. They do freeze incredibly well though and just require a short blast in the microwave to defrost them.

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Double Chocolate Almond Raisin Muffins

Makes 6 jumbo, or 8 regular muffins.

Author Domestic Gothess

Ingredients

• 150 g (1 + ¼ cups) plain flour, sifted
• 40 g (⅓ cup) cocoa powder, sifted
• ½ tbsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• pinch salt
• 125 g (½ cup + 2tbsp) caster sugar
• 50 g (scant ¼ cup) butter, melted
• 125 ml (generous ½ cup) buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 75 g (3oz) dark chocolate, chopped
• 40 g (1.5 oz) raisins
• 40 g (1.5 oz) almonds, roughly chopped

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Line a 6 hole muffin pan with large muffin liners (or you can make 8 smaller muffins).
• In a large bowl mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and the salt.
• In a separate bowl or jug whisk together the sugar, melted butter, buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined, don't overmix, the batter will be thick and fudgy.
• Reserve ¼ of the chocolate to sprinkle on top of the muffins then fold the remainder into the batter along with the raisins and almonds. Divide the batter between the 6 liners, filling them completely full. Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate pieces. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a skewer comes out almost clean (check after 15 minutes if you are making smaller muffins).

I was provided with some products however I was not paid to write this post and all opinions are my own.

I am sharing this with Fiesta Friday hosted by A Taste Of Sri Lankan Cuisine and Of Goats And Greens, Foodie FriDIY, Foodie Friends Friday and Friday Features

Divine Chocolate Bars Bundle Giveaway:

– One winner will receive the following: A collection of Divine dark chocolate bars and one of milk and white chocolate bars (pictured above).

– The giveaway open to UK residents over the age of 18 only. 

– The giveaway ends on the 31st of May 2016 at 11:59:59 PM.

– Entries using an automated process or software to create bulk entries will be disqualified.

– The winner will be randomly selected, announced in the Gleam giveaway box and contacted via their provided e-mail address shortly afterwards. Please claim your prize within 4 days of being notified.

More competitions at The PrizeFinder
Divine Chocolate Bars Bundle