It is important to chop the strawberries small, otherwise they will fall to the bottom of the muffin. Tossing the chopped strawberries with a teaspoon of sugar also brings out some of their sweetness and makes them taste more like a strawberry. If you are using perfectly ripe berries, tossing with the sugar is not necessary. We drizzle the tops of each baked muffin with dark chocolate, but any chocolate will do — use what you love.
6 ounces strawberries, chopped small (about 1 cup)
1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter
1/3 cup (25 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup (150 grams) sugar, plus 2 teaspoons for tops and berries, see notes
1 large egg
1 cup (250 grams) plain yogurt, see notes
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 ounces chocolate for drizzling on top
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 12 standard-size muffin cups with paper liners.
In a small bowl, mix the chopped strawberries with a teaspoon of sugar then set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and the salt together.
In another large bowl, whisk the cocoa powder and sugar together. Melt the butter then while it is still warm, whisk into the cocoa powder and sugar until blended and the mixture has cooled slightly. Add the egg, yogurt and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
Switch to a large rubber spatula. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl then add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, stirring gently until they disappear and the batter is smooth. Fold in the strawberries.
Divide the batter between muffin cups — the batter will come close to the tops of the paper liners. Sprinkle a little sugar on top of each muffin.
Bake muffins 15 to 20 minutes or until tops are no longer wet and a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out with crumbs, not wet batter. Transfer to a cooling rack.
When the muffins are mostly cool, melt the chocolate. Since it is such a small amount, using a microwave is best. Add chocolate to a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 10 seconds, stir then microwave for another 10 seconds. Repeat this process until the chocolate has melted. Drizzle the melted chocolate over muffins.
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