Light Chocolate Muffins

Wow, what a week. I mean really. If anyone had told me a week ago what the week would have entailed I would never have believed them. I mean just crazy crazy stuff happening.  In 4 weeks I am moving from my lovely comfortable life here in Australia, where I have lots of friends, a good job, great apartment and all my family, to the other side of the world.  In 4 weeks I am starting a new job in Missouri. Yes, Missouri!  I told you it was crazy.  Why? you ask, well the last two northern summers I have worked at a beautiful summer camp in Rolla, MO.  This place is my favourite place in the world, working there has been my greatest experience in life.  This year I had resolved myself to not going back, it was too hard, I couldn't keep giving up my life here in Sydney to work for 3 months in the US.  Then this week I got an email. The owner/director of the camp asked me if I would like to be the Assistant Director. All year. What?! Really?! This is my dream job, I've been wanting this for two years. I couldn't turn it down. But I have to be there the 25th May, that's 4 weeks away. 4 weeks!! It has been an emotional week, lots of thinking and decision making. Very mixed emotions, lots of excitement, but telling all my family and friends I'm moving across the world, for a long time, not exciting. The next few weeks and months will be interesting.  As far as the baking and blogging are concerned, I don't know.  In the short term there won't be much baking or blogging happening.  After the summer I will have much more time for baking, but I don't know how good my kitchen and baking supplies will be.  This blog may turn into a story of my journey, with some food and baking mixed in when I can. Only time will tell. 

Onto this weeks recipe. It is one I baked a while ago. I can't say they were great, but still a nice snack. When judging these muffins keep in mind that they are a light muffin, so the texture and flavour is different from your regular muffin. 

This weeks Sunday Baking round-up is back to basics. In light of my recent run of baking disasters I wanted to keep it simple.

• It doesn't get any easier then no-bake Buckeye Cookies from Sugarlaws
• Joe Pastry has been sharing us the history and baking secrets of Chocolate Chip Cookies. Try out Mrs Wakefields original Tollhouse Cookies
• Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake on the Hungry Mouse. Surely I can't mess that one up!
• A recipe that has been tried on many blogs, Home-made Oreos, this week it was on Beantown Baker.
• A recipe from Mom has got to be a winner. Try Mom's Banana Muffins from In Good Taste
• This week I found out my Adopted Blogger as part of Adopt-a-blogger.  So I add to this list The life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch who this week shared Yoghurt Brownies. 

Light Chocolate Muffins

recipe from taste.com

Ingredients

1/4 cup (30g) cocoa powder

1/4 cup (30g) hot water

2 eggs, lightly whisked

1 egg white

1/2 cup (100g) caster sugar

200g skim milk natural yoghurt

140g apple fruit puree

1/3 cup (80ml) reduced fat milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

50g good quality dark chocolate, finely chopped

1 3/4 cups (265g) self raising flour

icing sugar, to dust

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Brush twelve capacity muffin pans with melted butter to lightly greased.

2. Combine cocoa and hot water in a bowl and stir until smooth.  Add the egg, egg white, sugar, yogurt, apple puree, milk and vanilla, and whisk until well combined. Stir in the chocolate until combined.

3. Sift flour over the mixture and use a large metal spoon to mix until just combined. Spoon evenly among prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centres of the muffins comes out clean. Remove from oven. Set aside in the pans for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

4. Dust with icing sugar to serve.