Chocolate & orange muffin

Let’s give the floor to Elena: “Hello, everyone! On the Christmas holidays eve, catch this incredibly delicious recipe! The Christmas chocolate & orange muffin with cherry, raisins and orange-chocolate glaze… It is delicate and flavorous, with hints of citrus! And if you add the dried fruits soaked in cognac or rum, the taste will become even more festive! The muffin is very easy to cook and so delicious!”

The calculation is for a large muffin mold 25 cm (9.8 inch).

For the muffin:

• 295 g flour | 10.40 oz
• 6 g baking powder | 0.20 oz
• 70 g cocoa | 2.45 oz
• 3 g ground cinnamon | 0.10 oz
• 3 g ground ginger | 0.10 oz
• 2 g salt | 0.05 oz
• 355 g butter | 12.50 oz
• 410 g sugar | 14.45 oz
• 7 eggs | 7.00 items
• zest from 2 oranges | 2.00 items
• 60 ml orange juice | 2.00 fl oz
• 2 tsp vanilla sugar | 2.00 tsp
• 150 g dried fruit | 5.30 oz
• 100 ml cognac or rum | 3.40 fl oz

For the glaze:

• 90 g chocolate | 3.15 oz
• 40 g sugar | 1.40 oz
• 35 g butter | 1.25 oz
• orange zest | 0.00 to taste
• 45 ml orange juice | 1.50 fl oz

The day before cooking, put the dried fruits in a jar, pour in the brandy and cover. Before cooking, put the dried fruits on a paper towel, blot the excess liquid and roll them in flour.

1. Heat the oven to 155C (311F).
2. Sift the flour with the baking powder, cocoa, cinnamon, ginger and salt, and mix in a separate container
3. Whip the softened butter with a mixer, add the sugar and the vanilla sugar; whip together until creamy.
4. Add the eggs one by one: add one, stir in, then add the next one. Mix until smooth.
5. Add the orange zest, juice. Mix everything again until smooth.
6. Stir in the dry ingredients, using a spatula. Don’t whisk for too long, so that the cake does not turn out to be dense. At the very last moment, stir in dried fruits (any nuts can also be used).
7. Grease the cake mold with butter and sprinkle it with cocoa. Spread the dough in the mold, and level its’ surface with a spatula.
8. Bake the muffin for 55 to 60 minutes in the oven, preheated to 155C (311F). Check readiness with a skewer.
9. Let the finished cake cool completely and remove it from the mold.

1. Melt and combine half the chocolate, butter, sugar, orange juice and the zest in a small saucepan over a low heat.
2. Remove it from the heat, add the remaining chocolate; mix thoroughly, and the glaze is ready. Let it cool a little so that it becomes thicker, and cover the cooled muffin.

Bon Appetit!