Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Muffins for Easter and the new Peekaboo magazine

Before you get too taken away with these Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Muffins I have to mention that Peekaboo Magazine has published an original recipe I created in their latest March Issue.

Yay for me!

They are super delicious Cranberry Hot Cross Muffins made with wholemeal flour and macadamia oil, so you won't feel so bad about popping them into the kids lunchbox or serving them for Easter brunch.

While I was waiting for the magazine to come out I had a bit of a craving for them, but decided to modify the recipe a bit and came up with these wholemeal chocolate chip hot cross muffins.

I'm thinking the wholemeal flour cancels out any potential unhealthy qualities in the chocolate (# note I'm not actually a qualified nutritionist so it's possible and probable this information could be completely incorrect).

and if you like the colour combination on my photo's here I'm gonna have to admit I totally stole it from Sharnel Dollar who styled the Peekaboo Shoot.

I didn't however steal the cute little baskets in the above shots, I bought those from Sharnel's online store. How completely perfect are they for Easter treats.

Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Muffin Recipe after jump

Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Muffins  makes approx 12 large muffins

2 cups wholemeal self raising flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
3/4 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup chocolate chips

optional cross decoration
3 Tbsp icing sugar, 1 Tbsp cocoa (US conversion 4 Tbsp powdered sugar and 1Tbsp plus 1 tsp cocoa)
1 1/2 to 2 tsp hot water

Preheat over to 200 C, line muffin trays with paper cases.

Sift flour, cocoa, soda and cinnamon into a large bowl to remove lumps, tip any of the wholemeal flour husks that remain in the sifter into bowl with the already sifted flour. Add chocolate chips.

In a separate bowl whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs and sugar until combined.

Add to dry ingredients and stir until  just combined.

Divide mixture between 12 muffin cases and bake for 20-25 mins, if you insert a skewer is should come out clean. Well unless you hit a gooey delicious chocolate chip :)  Remove from trays to cool on wire rack.


Icing for Cross
Sift icing sugar with cocoa into a small bowl and add 1 1/2 tsp water to make a thick icing, if the icing is too thick to pipe add more water in 1/4 tsp increments. Spoon icing into a zip lock bag and cut a small hole in corner to make a piping bag. Use bag to draw a cross on the top of each muffin.