Once Bubs is fast asleep, I give him a quick peck on his cheek and dash off to the kitchen where play time begins for me. He was upset before his afternoon nap because he decided he was Iron Man and leaped onto the bed without factoring the height of it. He fell right off backwards, hit his head against the floor (thank God the floor mat absorbed some of the impact) and bawled non stop.
Ignoring the fact that nearly everyone in the family is down with the flu, I decided upon Smitten Kitchen's chocolate yogurt snack cakes. After all, dark chocolate is packed full with antioxidants which will either kill or cure the flu bug, right?
I only had olive oil lying around the kitchen so I used that in place of vegetable oil. Since we usually use olive oil in stir fries and pasta, I've gotten used to the fruitiness of it and I can't really detect it in baked goods.
Melting the dark chocolate over a pot of boiling water on the stove. I was almost tempted to slurp from it. Almost.
Bliss is a cup of hot tea while the aroma of baked goodies waft out from the oven.
Chocolate Yogurt Snack Cakes
7 ounces (200 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (125 ml) vegetable oil
1/2 cup (125 ml) plain, whole-milk yogurt
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups (200 grams) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cupcake liners or lightly butter the pan. Or, if you’re Deb and have to be fancy dust off that much-neglected mini-springform pan and coat it with a nonstick spray.
2. In a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, melt the chocolate with 1/4 cup of the oil. Once melted and smooth, remove from the heat. (Alternately, you can do this in the microwave on high for 30 seconds, then in 15 second increments, stirring well between each until smooth.)
3. In another bowl, mix the remaining 1/4 cup oil with yogurt, sugar, eggs and vanilla and almond extracts.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the yogurt mixture. Stir lightly a couple times, then add the melted chocolate and stir until just smooth.
5. Divide the batter among the muffin or springform cups and bake for 20 to 25 minutes (less for mini-springforms, more for muffins, though your oven may vary) or until they feel barely set in the middle and a tester or toothpick comes out clean.
6. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack before serving with coffee and a nice dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream and any berries you can scrounge up in your fridge. Or, you know, as is.
It definitely brightened up someone's day when he woke up from his nap :)
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