Vegan Cherry Dark Chocolate Chip Muffins
So these muffins. Vhttps://www.tashasartisanfoods.com/blog/vegan-chocolate-cherry-muffins/egan cherry dark chocolate. Na me cook am for one wedding. The bride she say “Spoonchuk I no want egg. I no want milk. But I want sweet.” I tell her “sister leave me.” She nearly cry. I say “calm down. I go do am.”
First time I try am? Fail. Flat like my slippers.
Why? Because my baking powder don die. You know how baking powder dey expire? Nobody check am. I no check am. So my muffin no rise. Just flat discs. Look like biscuit but no be biscuit. The bride come taste, she look at me, I look at ground I tell her “next batch go better.”
Second time. I buy new baking powder. I test am first. Put small for hot water. E dey bubble? Yes e dey bubble like say e angry Good. Now we dey go.
I bring my big bowl. Oat flour. I no buy oat flour oh. That one expensive. I just take rolled oats, pour for blender, grind grind grind. Until e turn to powder. Done. Whole wheat pastry flour. If you no get am, use normal flour. But your muffin go tough small. No too tough. Just tough like say e go gym. Still fine.
Then baking powder (the new one), baking soda, salt, coconut sugar. If you no get coconut sugar, brown sugar fine. I use coconut sugar because e get that deep taste like caramel wey no too sweet.
I whisk everything. Make sure no clump. Because one time I leave clump of baking soda. My friend bite am. She say “Spoonchuk why this muffin taste like soap?” I just laugh. But inside I dey cry.
Now wet side. Almond milk. Any milk work. I try oat milk before, e come make my muffin sweet pass. I try soy milk, e come heavy like brick. So almond is safe. Apple cider vinegar. This one important oh. No vinegar? No rise. Because egg no dey. So vinegar + baking soda = the thing wey make your muffin puff. If you no get vinegar, use lemon. But vinegar better. I test am.
Vanilla. Cheap one. Abeg no waste your good vanilla for muffin way go enter hot oven. Melted coconut oil. Melt am first. One time I just scoop solid oil enter. I stir and stir. My hand nearly break. The muffin come get lumps of oil inside. Not good.
Pour wet inside dry. Now fold. No stir oh. Fold. Use spatula. Go round the bowl, scrape down, bring up. Do am maybe fifteen time. If you still see flour powder, that’s okay. If you no see any powder, you don overmix. Your muffin go be dense like concrete. I overmix before. The muffin come out hard. My dog no even chop am.
Then add cherry and chocolate. Fold five more time. The cherry go break small. That’s good. The red juice go spread. But if you dey use frozen cherry, abeg listen well well.
DO NOT THAW THE FROZEN CHERRY.
I shout because I don suffer. One time I thaw am. I leave am for counter one hour. E come soft and wet. I put inside batter. The whole thing turn grey. Pink-grey. Like dirty water wey dem wash red cloth. The muffin still taste okay but e look like sickness. Nobody want eat grey muffin. So if you get frozen, chop am while e still hard like stone. Add am straight from freezer. No thaw. I beg you.
Now small trick. Leave the batter to rest for five minutes. Just put am for counter. Go clean something. Drink water. Check your phone. After five minutes, the oat flour go soak liquid. Your muffin go come out taller. I learn this trick from old woman for market. She say “my pikin, rest the batter.” I rest am. E work.
Now line your muffin tin. Paper liner or spray. No use butter. Na vegan recipe. Also butter no even stop stick. Spray better.
Scoop the batter. Fill each cup three-quarter. Use ice cream scoop if you get. If you no get, use spoon and try make equal. No be perfect. Who perfect? Nobody.
Bake at 375°F. That’s 190°C for those wey use gas mark. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes. Start check at 18. Stick toothpick for middle. If e come out clean, done. If wet batter, add three more minute. If crumb small, that’s perfect. Means e moist.
After baking, cool for five minute inside tin. Then remove to wire rack. If you leave am inside tin, the bottom go soggy from steam. Soggy bottom. Nobody want that
Now wetin fit spoil?
Flat muffin. You overmix or your baking powder dead. I don tell you. Check your baking powder before you start. Put small for hot water. If e no bubble like say e happy to see you, throw am away.
Dry muffin. You measure flour wrong. When you scoop flour with cup, you pack am down. Too much flour. Spoon the flour inside cup instead. Or you overbake. Your oven fit dey lie. Buy oven thermometer. My own oven dey run hot by 25 degrees. I burn many thing before I find out.
Cherry sink to bottom. Your batter too thin. Next time, toss your chopped cherry with small flour before you add am. The flour coat am, help am float.
Batter turn grey. You thaw frozen cherry, I don warn you. Now your muffin ugly but still sweet. Eat am. Just no post for Instagram.
If you wan make plenty for crowd.
This recipe give twelve muffin. If you double am, bake one batch first, then the next. No put two pan inside same time unless your oven big like motor tyre. Most oven small. The top pan go brown, the bottom pan go pale. Just do separate.
If I dey cook for event, I bake am day before. Next morning, I warm am for 300°F for five minute. E taste fresh. No use microwave. The chocolate go turn to fire. Somebody go burn tongue and curse you.
Freeze? Wrap each muffin with foil. No use nylon. Nylon make the top sticky like glue. Reheat from frozen for 350°F for twelve minute. Or just chop am frozen. I don do am for midnight. No regret.
