Chocolate and orange muffins

Ingredients for 12 muffins
225 g Italian '00' flour
90 g brown sugar
70 g butter
100 g dark chocolate chips, plus extra for the top
2 whole eggs
35 g unsweetened cocoa powder
1 sachet baking powder
2 oranges, grated zest only
6 g orange liqueur
285 g milk
For plain muffins, replace cocoa with cornflour or rice starch.

I combine sifted flour, baking powder and cocoa in a bowl.

I add brown sugar and mix the dry ingredients.

I beat eggs lightly in another bowl and add milk.

I add the lukewarm butter.

I mix thoroughly.

I add grated zest, only the orange part, from the 2 oranges and the liqueur to the dry ingredients.

I combine liquids and dry ingredients.

I stir with a wooden spoon. Crucially, stir very little: the mixture should remain almost lumpy.
Minimal mixing makes soft muffins; excessive mixing makes them rubbery.

I quickly incorporate chocolate chips.

I line a muffin tin with paper cases.

I divide between 12 moulds.

I add a few chocolate chips on each.

I bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 20 minutes, remove from the tin and cool on a rack.

Very soft!