I’m writing this on a beautiful, sunny morning from Vegas! Talk about such a rapid change from Buffalo – I’ve definitely had NO trouble whatsoever adapting to not having to cover every single inch of my skin to walk outside. 😉 We’re on day 2 here, and I’m loving it so far! Lots of exploring, yummy food, and bits of playing here and there (I mostly watch Alex play, which is just as fun).
My goal for this trip is to learn a few table games – so far, Alex has gotten me pretty well started with Texas Hold’em and three card poker – although I probably won’t be trying them out myself until later on in the week when the dealers aren’t quite so busy. I need someone to walk me through it, haha! I love how friendly everyone is here – I always thought of the table dealers as really intimidating people, but they’re all so nice, and they just want you to win! So fun so far. 🙂 But now, to today’s recipe!
With this winter being seemingly never-ending and all of the citrus being in season, I have been craving orange baked goods like crazy. The soft scent of orange throughout these muffins is absolute heaven – the smell of my kitchen as I made these was fantastic! And it gave me a good excuse to use my microplane – I love zesting with it!
Orange and chocolate are definitely one of my favorite combinations, although it’s more out of the ordinary than your standard fruit and chocolate combinations you would think of, like any berry and chocolate. The chocolate gives these muffins a boost that makes you think you’re indulging when really, these are some pretty darn healthy muffins. Whole wheat flour, almond meal, greek yogurt, and not too much sugar make for a perfectly filling and satisfying breakfast or snack.
What is your favorite fruit and chocolate combination?
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour (for gluten free, I recommend an equal amount of buckwheat flour)
- 1 1/2 cups almond meal (I use Trader Joe's)
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup demerara sugar (or coarse sugar like sugar in the raw)
- zest from 2 oranges (about 2 Tbsp)
- 1/4 tsp liquid stevia (or 1/4 cup more sugar)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup milk (I used almond milk)
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- demerara sugar, for sprinkling
Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and line a muffin tin with liners.
In a medium bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the sugar and orange zest, rubbing it together with the back of a spoon to release the oils from the zest. Allow to rest for a few minutes, and then add the liquid stevia, vanilla extract, egg, greek yogurt, and milk, stirring until smooth.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, stirring until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Scoop 1/4 cup of batter into each lined muffin tin, and sprinkle the tops with sugar.
Bake at 350ºF for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly in the pan before removing to a wire rack to cool.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. These muffins can be frozen, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 months.
https://cookingalamel.com/2014/03/orange-chocolate-chip-muffins.html