Double chocolate muffins. But not just any double chocolate muffins. These are made with orange blossom water, yogurt, and olive oil for a rich flavor and moist texture. They are chocolatey, soft, and utterly delicious. Each bite provides a distant taste of the orange blossom just to remind you it is there. I like the depth of the extra-virgin olive oil, but feel free to use mild olive oil or another oil of your choice if you prefer. That being said, these muffins will be sure to fulfill your indulgence cravings. They are also especially perfect with a hot cup of jasmine tea.

And, I think I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking here…

INGREDIENTS/ MAKES 8-9

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa powder, (sifted)
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
1/2 cup plus 4 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large egg
1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
2/3 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Zest of 1/2 an orange

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 350 F/ 180 C and grease cupcake tin. Tip: Grease generously, but not so much that you can see the oil or butter accumulate. This will allow for a smooth removal of the muffins.

2. Sift the flour, salt, baking soda, cocoa powder, and espresso into a medium bowl. Mix well to combine. Stir in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips. Set aside.

3. Beat together the sugar and oil until fluffy. Whisk in the egg and mix until light and well combined. Add the yogurt or sour cream, milk, vanilla, and orange zest and mix until creamy.

4. Fold the flour mixture into the wet batter in 2 bunches until there are no more lumps and the batter is smooth.

5. Pour the batter into the muffin tin so that it is almost full. Top with the remaining 4 tablespoons of chocolate chips. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool for for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a baking rack to cool completely.