GialloZafferano Recipe of the Day: Halloween Muffins

Halloween is just around the corner, and the recipe for Thursday, October 30 is a simple and fun idea for making monstrous treats! Halloween muffins are soft little cakes with chocolate chips and a delicate orange aroma, decorated with a delicious cocoa glaze and cute sugar eyes. All you need are a few ingredients and a pinch of imagination to turn them into little monsters, perfect for a Halloween party or to make with kids.

FOR 12 MUFFINS:

• Type 00 flour 2 cups (265 g)
• Sugar 0.67 cup (135 g)
• Whole milk at room temperature 0.6 cup (135 g)
• Butter at room temperature 0.55 cup (125 g)
• Eggs (2 medium) 3.9 oz (110 g)
• Dark chocolate chips 3.5 oz (100 g)
• Baking powder 1.3 tsp (6 g)
• Orange peel (to be grated) 1
• Baking soda 0.8 tsp (4 g)
• Fine salt 1 pinch

FOR DECORATION:

• Cocoa glaze 4.4 oz (125 g)
• Food decorations small eyes 34

• Make the batter: pour the sugar into a bowl together with the softened butter and grated orange zest. Start mixing with an electric mixer, adding the eggs one at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Add the dry ingredients: sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda directly into the bowl. Add a pinch of salt and continue mixing with the mixer. When the batter becomes thicker, pour in the milk in a thin stream to make it soft and smooth.
• Add the chocolate: add the dark chocolate chips and gently mix with a spatula to distribute them throughout the batter.
• Fill the liners: transfer the mixture to a pastry bag without a tip. Place the paper liners in a 12-muffin pan and fill them about two-thirds full, leaving 3/8 inch (1 cm) free from the edge.
• Bake the muffins: bake in a preheated conventional oven at 356°F (180°C) for about 18-20 minutes. Once baked, remove them from the oven and let them cool completely.
• Prepare the decorations: remove the paper liners and apply two sugar eyes to each muffin. Stack the treats on a small plate, then prepare the cocoa glaze: bring some water to a boil in a small saucepan, turn off the heat, and immerse the glaze pouch for 7-8 minutes. Remove it, dry it thoroughly, and open it.
• Finish the little monsters: pour the glaze into a pitcher and let it drip over the stacked muffins, creating a deliciously monstrous effect. Your Halloween muffins are ready to serve!

If you want to make the Halloween muffins ahead of time, you can prepare the little cakes the day before and store them without glaze under a glass cake dome.

Just decorate them shortly before serving, so they will stay soft and the glaze will look inviting. If you prefer a different aroma, you can replace the orange zest with vanilla extract.