Choc-ginger muffins

You know how some ingredients go so well together, making a happy marriage of flavours, textures and just good old mouth-appeal? These muffins are the result of gathering up various bits and pieces from my pantry - finally adding ginger, chocolate's best buddy in my opinion, for a winning hit. Result! Sensational. But don't be shy about doing your own swap-and-improve inclusions. Macadamias for the walnuts; vanilla instead of cinnamon; sour cream or buttermilk for yoghurt. And so on. Muffins are forgiving little things. They are sort of the 'fried rice' of cakes. You can use up all the tag ends of nuts and seeds and dried fruit and it only seems to add to the appeal. Just don't over-mix them!

3 cups SR flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup soft dark brown sugar

1/2 cup baking cocoa

125g dark chocolate chips

3/4 cup walnut pieces

1/2 cup sultanas, soaked in 1/4 cup very hot water

2 teaspoons cinnamon

several grinds of nutmeg

1/2-3/4 cup chopped naked ginger*

2 eggs

1/2 cup light olive oil

3/4 cup coconut milk (optional) or use regular milk

enough plain light yoghurt to make a batter

Preheat oven to 180C fan-forced. Place all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir together well. Beat eggs, oil and coconut milk (or milk) together in a small bowl, then pour into the dry ingredients. Mix lightly, adding enough yoghurt to make a cake-batter consistency. Do not overmix.

Spoon the batter into muffin trays (using paper or silicone liners if you like) and heaping a little. Bake in the preheated oven for around 30 minutes or until cooked and a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the centre of one of the muffins.

Makes about 16.

* this is actually how the ginger is described on the packet - it has less crystalised sugar.

- Sally Hammond

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