Recipe: Chocolate Crumble Coffee Cake Muffins

Chocolate Crumble Coffee Cake Muffins
rec.food.baking/Aniahan (1997)
Source: Recipes from Ghirardelli Chocolate Company of San Francisco
Yield: 12 medium or 9 large muffins

CRUMBLE MIXTURE
2 oz Ghirardelli sweet dark chocolate
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp grated fresh orange rind
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp instant coffee
1 tbsp cold butter
1/4 cup pecans

COFFEE CAKE MIXTURE
1 3/4 cup unsifted flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter
1 egg
1/2 cup half and half

EGG WASH:
1 egg yolk
2 tsp water

Crumble Mixture:
Place pieces of broken chocolate and brown sugar in food processor or blender. Process about 15 to 20 seconds or until as fine as coarse ground coffee. Add orange rind, cinnamon, coffee, butter and pecans. Process a short time until nuts are finely chopped. Set aside.

Coffee Cake Mixture:
Place flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in food processor; process for a few seconds to combine or prepare by hand using a pastry blender.

Sprinkle small butter cubes over dry ingredients. Process only 5-6 seconds to distribute butter into very small pieces, or use pastry blender. Transfer to a bowl. Spread mixture to form a well in the center.

Beat whole egg lightly with half & half. Pour, all at once, into dry ingredients. Using a folding motion, stir to combine ingredients- mixing only until liquid is all absorbed. (Do not overmix. This should take only 15-20 hand strokes.)

Sprinkle the crumble mixture over dough in bowl. With a table knife, draw across in 2 directions to marble crumble with dough. (Do not combine thoroughly.)

Heavily grease cups of muffin pans, disposable foil pans, glass custard cups or cupcake liners.

When portioning dough, mixture will be rough but will come together after baking. To make large size muffins, fill cups level to top, yielding 9 muffins. For medium muffins, fill cups 2/3 full, yielding 12 muffins.

Prepare egg wash by mixing water with egg yolk. Brush muffins with egg wash.

Bake at 400F for 15-17 minutes, depending upon the size of the muffins. Muffins should be golden brown and baked in the center. Cool in pans about 5 minutes to firm muffins before removing. Serve warm.