Chocolate brownie, date and pear muffins
Makes: 8 large muffins (or 12 smaller ones)
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Tara Fisher
Chocolate brownie, date and pear muffins
Makes: 8 large muffins (or 12 smaller ones)
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
See more recipes
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
421Kcal
Fat
22gr
Saturates
13gr
Carbs
47gr
Sugars
29gr
Fibre
4gr
Protein
8gr
Salt
0.7gr
Sarah Randell
Our former Food Director, and previously food editor to Delia Smith, Sarah has written more than 1000 recipes for the magazine. She is also author of Family Baking and Marmalade; A Bittersweet Cookbook among others.
Sarah Randell
Our former Food Director, and previously food editor to Delia Smith, Sarah has written more than 1000 recipes for the magazine. She is also author of Family Baking and Marmalade; A Bittersweet Cookbook among others.
Ingredients
- 100g dark chocolate (50-60% cocoa solids), in pieces
- 75g unsalted butter
- 100g pitted Medjool dates
- 2 ripe but firm pears
- 1 x 150ml carton soured cream
- 50ml semi-skimmed milk
- 50g dark muscovado sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 175g plain flour
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 x 100g bag milk chocolate chips
Step by step
Get ahead
You can make the muffins a day ahead but, once cooled, store them in an airtight container. They freeze well, too.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Put the dark chocolate and butter in a bowl and place over a pan of barely simmering water to melt, giving the mix an occasional stir, then take off the heat and leave to cool slightly. Line a muffin tin with 8 cafe-style tulip muffin cases (or 12 cupcake cases).
- Roughly chop the dates. Peel, quarter and core the pears, then chop into small pieces. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the soured cream, milk, sugar, eggs and the melted chocolate and butter.
- In another bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and ground ginger. Add a pinch of salt, the chocolate chips and the dates and pears; fold gently to combine. Add the cream and chocolate mixture to the dry mix and gently fold together until just combined; don't over-mix.
- Divide the mixture between the muffin cases. Bake for 25 minutes until well risen (or 20 minutes for smaller muffins). Remove the muffins from the tin and transfer to a wire rack. Best eaten warm.
Chef quote
As always when making muffins, don't over-mix –a light hand makes airy, well-risen muffins. Eat warm for brunch or tea.
