Noah requested that I send chocolate cupcakes to school with him for his classmates on his birthday, as I mentioned before. I decided to make them a little healthier, going with muffins, instead. Then, for his birthday party at the pool, I made the same recipe and baked it in a bundt pan, then served it with ice cream. It was not only a hit, it was also a wonderful, filling snack for the post-swimming munchies!

Enjoy! (Click on link for a 4"x6" recipe card in .pdf format.)

Chocolate Gingerbread Muffins

Makes 1 dozen large, or 2 dozen small muffins.

Dry:
3 c. Quick Mix
½ c. cocoa
½ c. whole (or dark brown) sugar*
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. cloves
1 c. chocolate chips

Wet:
3 eggs
2/3 c. butter, melted**
¼ c. blackstrap molasses
2 c. canned pumpkin***

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Stir thoroughly. Make a well in centre.

Beat eggs in a medium bowl until frothy. Mix in remaining wet ingredients.. Pour into well. Stir only to moisten. (Batter will be lumpy.) Fill greased muffin cups ¾ full. Bake in 400°F (200°C) oven for 20-25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Serve warm, slathered in butter.

*Instead of sugar, 6 tbsp. maple syrup may be added to the wet ingredients. This will not make a significant difference in the consistency of the batter.
**NEVER use a microwave to melt your butter, or for any other reason. Microwave cooking creates free radicals, which have been confirmed as a causative reason for cancer!
***I once substituted buttermilk for pumpkin when I was out, and it was delicious.

© 2010 Talena Winters. www.talenawinters.com