Chocolate Ricotta Muffins

Blogging Marathon# 62: Week 1/ Day 3

Theme: Kid's Delight -- Chocolate

Dish: Chocolate Ricotta Muffins

Today's recipe was born out of necessity. I had another chocolate recipe planned for the third day of Kid's Delight -- Chocolate event being hosted by Kalyani, but the container of ricotta needed to be used up before anything. I landed on Joy of Baking recipe for these muffins and made them right away.

Ricotta cheese makes these muffins extra moist and gives them almost-cheesecake like texture. I used part-skim ricotta but the original recipe suggests using whole milk ricotta. I replaced all of the all-purpose flour with wholewheat pastry flour and even with that the muffins turned out soft, fluffy and moist. I subbed the eggs with some egg replacer powder (flaxseed meal will be a great alternate too).

These muffins have double dose of chocolate with cocoa powder and the chocolate chips. I have to say these are probably one of my favorite chocolate muffins too along with the kids because they are very moist, chocolaty and quite addictive.

Recipe adapted from Joy of Baking:

Chocolate Ricotta Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2cups Wholewheat Pastry Flour (or use all purpose flour)
• 1cup Sugar
• 2tsp Baking powder
• ½tsp Salt
• ⅔cup Dutch processed Cocoa powder
• 1cup Ricotta cheese (part-skim or whole milk)
• 2tbsp Egg replacer powder or flaxseed meal whisked in 6tbsp water (or use 2 large eggs)
• 1⅓cups Almond milk (or any other dairy or non-dairy milk)
• 1tbsp Vanilla extract
• 4tbsp Oil (or melted and cooled unsalted butter)
• 1cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 16 muffin pans with paper liners or spray with nonstick spray. I used 12 cup muffin pan and a small loaf pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder.
3. In another smaller mixing bowl, combine ricotta, egg replacer mixture (or eggs), milk, vanilla and oil. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.
4. Add the ricotta mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Try not to over mix the batter.
5. Divide the batter evenly in the muffin cups. Bake for 20~24 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and place on the wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for 2~3 days or freeze for longer storage.

 

Lets check out what my fellow marathoners have cooked today for BM# 62. Linking this to Kalyani's #KidsDelightChocoGiveaway.