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Elderberry and Chocolate Muffins

Elderberry and Chocolate Muffins is a modern British recipe for a classic muffin containing elderberries, chocolate and vanilla in the batter. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Elderberry and Chocolate Muffins.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

25 minutes

Total Time:

45 minutes

Makes:

12

Rating:

Tags : Wild FoodVegetarian RecipesBaking RecipesCake RecipesBritish Recipes

The tartness of elderberries marries well with the richness of dark chocolate, both lightened by the presence of vanilla. So making muffins with these ingredients is a great way of making the most of them. Elder is also an early coloniser of waste ground and verges so you can fairly easily forage for it even in urban environments. Elder fruit can be hard to gather easily. The best way I have come across is to take half a spray (leave some for the birds!) then take these home and separate the fruit from the stems with a fork.

Ingredients:

150g elderberries
300g plain flour
200g ground almonds
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
250ml milk (this can be any milk plant or animal based; use plant milks for a vegan version)
200ml honey or maple syrup
4 tbsp coconut oil, melted
80g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 vanilla pod, split lengthways with seeds scraped out (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)

Method:

Begin by pre-heating your oven to 180°C fan (gas mark 4). Line a 12-well muffin tray with muffin cases and set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl then stir in the almonds, breaking up any lumps.

Form a well in the centre then pour in the milk, honey or maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla seeds or extract. Mix well, until the batter is thick and smooth.

At this point gently stir through the elderberries and chocolate pieces. Divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cases then transfer to the centre of your pre-heated oven, baking for 25–30 minutes until golden brown, nicely risen and cooked through.

When done, a skewer or sharp knife inserted into the centre of a muffin should emerge cleanly (if it doesn't pop the muffins back into the oven to cook for 5–10 minutes then test again).

Once cooked, remove the muffins from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool further. Like other muffins these are best served slightly warm.