We Should Cocoa ~ My 'Go To' Muffins

Have no fear, there will be plenty more post Christmas food posts on their way shortly!  In the meantime I thought I had better share my bake for this month's We Should Cocoa ... which was set by me, to be health conscious ... think I am going to start picking easier challenges!  I struggled with this one.  To be fair there are already a couple of 'healthy' recipes on this blog using chocolate ... this White Chocolate and Strawberry Mousse or maybe even this Chocolate Biscuit Slice ... so long as 'healthy' means you are sticking to your WW points!!

This month I thought I should maybe broaden my horizon's a little, but alas, inspiration did not strike in any form.  So yesterday morning I decided to tweak my 'Go To Muffin' recipe, which I originally got from the Australian Sanitarium website at least 8 years ago.  I was surprised to find the recipe still hanging around in cyberspace so if you would like to see the original recipe, its for Apple Muesli Muffins, they are delish!  So I figure if the recipe is from Sanitarium and it has oats in it and dried fruit then its bound to be healthy ... right?  Here is what I came up with (as the recipe is Australian so it is in cup measurements, sorry!)

'Healthy' Oaty and Fruity Chocolate Muffins
1 1/2 cups oats
1 cup plain flour, sifted
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 peeled and finely chopped apples, whatever you have in the fruit bowl is fine
1/2 cup sultanas
1/2 cup milk chocolate drops
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup oil
1 cup skimmed milk

Preheat the oven to 190C and line a muffin tray with paper baking cases.

Place oats,flour, baking powder, caster sugar, chopped apples, sultanas and chocolate in a large bowl and ensure the flour coats the fruit and chocolate, this helps prevent everything sinking to the bottom while baking. In a large jug mix the egg, oil and milk.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix gently until everything is only just mixed.  (It will look a bit like a dogs dinner but perseverance is key)!  Spoon into the paper baking cases.  Bake for 30 mins or until the muffins are golden and springy to the touch.

Makes 12
Adapted from Sanitarium

The plan was these would be our 'lunch time treat' for the week.  The reality is there are only enough left to see us through to Wednesday now.  When I moved into my first flat (and my second flat!!) in Edinburgh all those years ago I used to make the Apple Muesli variety every Sunday.  I would freeze them in bags of two and take them to work throughout the week for my breakfast.  That was until my flatmates cottoned on to how yummy they were too, and then I would have to make 2 batches every Sunday!  Seems the chocolate version is just as addictive ;0)