Raspberry & White Chocolate Muffins

These Raspberry & White Chocolate Muffins are the perfect flavour combination. Tart, fruity raspberries studded throughout a buttery cake alongside creamy, sweet white chocolate.

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I guess it was only with the rise of the big US coffee shops across Britain that ‘muffin’ came to mean an individual cake.

Before then, muffins were flat, yeasted breads to be toasted and buttered for tea or maybe breakfast. Of course these are still around, and they’re still called muffins (English muffins in the US).

But say ‘muffin’ in Britain these days and I’d bet virtually everyone, certainly under 50 anyway, would think of sweet cakes in paper cases, some out-sized affairs, others (like these) of cupcake proportions.

Muffins can flavoured in just about any way you like, including savoury versions. But here I want to share with you a sweet muffin that might be the best one I’ve tasted.

CLASSIC FLAVOURS: RASPBERRY & WHITE CHOCOLATE MUFFINS

Although based on a classic flavour pairing, even I wasn’t prepared for just how good my Raspberry & White Chocolate Muffins were.

Firstly, unlike many muffin recipes which contain vegetable oil of some kind, I always use butter. As with virtually all cakes, I think this gives a superior, rich flavour.

I’ve been generous with the raspberries and white chocolate too. How disappointing is it to bite into a scrumptious looking cake to find virtually none of the promised goodies?

Traditionally, many muffin recipes contain buttermilk. But I use full-fat plain yogurt in my muffins, and in my scones too. Yogurt gives a light, fluffy texture and good flavour. I always have a big tub of yogurt in the fridge anyway (update: these days it’s jars of Homemade Yogurt). However, feel free to use buttermilk if you like, or any type of milk.

I like a slightly crunchy topping on my muffin. To achieve this I sprinkle a little demerara sugar over each one before baking.

In the detailed recipe I’ve listed the white chocolate drizzle as optional. But I really recommend you make it. It’s dead easy, just melted chocolate, but I think it makes such a difference to the visual appeal as well the balance of tastes and textures.

To experience my Raspberry & White Chocolate Muffins at their best, you really need to eat them warm. This brings out the flavour, and aroma, of the fruit beautifully as well as melting the little nuggets of white chocolate inside. I reheat them in a microwave for about 20 seconds. Because microwaves heat from the inside, this is just enough to warm them nicely without melting the drizzle on top.

TIPS FOR MUFFIN MAKING

If you’ve never made muffins before, here’s a few pointers, plus a couple specific to my Raspberry & White Chocolate ones:

• Prepping the muffin mix is quick, so make sure the first thing you do is preheat your oven.
• Don’t over-mix. To get a light, airy texture only fold the ingredients just enough to combine. Don’t worry if the mixture looks a bit lumpy.
• These muffins will only take about 17 minutes to cook, so don’t go wandering off! Use a skewer or cocktail stick to check if the centre’s fully cooked – the skewer or stick should come out clean.
• White chocolate is higher in sugar than other chocolate which means it can burn more easily. Keep an eye on the muffins when they’re in the oven and turn the temperature down if they darken too much before the centres are cooked.
• Don’t add the white chocolate drizzle until the muffins are cold.
• No need for a piping bag for the drizzle; drip it off a spoon or pour into a freezer bag and snip a corner off.

If you love these muffins as much as I do then use the basic mix and create your own flavours. Just replace the raspberries and white chocolate with whatever you fancy: blackberries & cinnamon, blueberries & lemon zest, dark chocolate & orange zest, mashed banana & milk chocolate chips.

Happy muffin making!

5 from 2 votes

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Raspberry & White Chocolate Muffins

These Raspberry & White Chocolate Muffins are the perfect flavour combination. Tart, fruity raspberries studded throughout a buttery cake alongside creamy, sweet white chocolate.

Course Dessert, Snack, Cake

Cuisine American, British, World

Keyword muffin, small cakes, cupcake

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 17 minutes

Total Time 37 minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 325 g self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 240 ml yogurt or buttermilk or milk
• 200 g sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 120 g butter melted
• 120 g white chocolate chopped into approx 1cm square chunks
• 220 g raspberries fresh or frozen
• 1-2 tbsp demerara sugar for sprinkling
• 30 g white chocolate, melted optional drizzle

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Line a muffin tray with 12 paper cases.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder & salt then set aside.
   

3. Take a large bowl and put in the eggs, yogurt, sugar, vanilla extract and melted butter. Beat together (I use electric beaters) until well combined.
   

4. Tip the flour, baking powder and salt mixture into the large bowl with the beaten wet ingredients.
   

5. Using a rubber or plastic spoon, fold in the dry ingredients. Do not over-mix. When most of the dry ingredients are moistened, tip in the white chocolate chunks and fold a few times more. Finally, add the raspberries and fold until they're distributed throughout the mix.
   

6. Divide the mixture between the muffin cases and sprinkle the top of each one with a little demerara sugar before putting in the oven.
   

7. Bake until the muffins are risen, golden and a skewer comes out clean (approx 17 minutes).

   NOTE if the tops are browning too quickly before the centre of the muffins are cooked, turn the oven down a little and continuing cooking.

8. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
   

9. If adding the white chocolate drizzle, leave until completely cold before topping.

   Melt the chocolate in the microwave, stirring after each 10 seconds (should take approx 30 seconds in total).

   Put the melted chocolate in a piping bag or a freezer bag with a corner snipped off and drizzle over the tops of the muffins.
   

10. The muffins are best served warm: 20 seconds in a microwave should heat them sufficiently inside without melting the chocolate drizzle on top.
    

11. Best eaten within 3-4 days or can be frozen.