Happy Heart Day: Berry-licious Chocolate Mini Muffins

Happy Heart Day, everyone!

In honor of Valentine's day and of my love for sweets, I'm starting a series called Thursday Treats - as the name implies, I'll be sharing some of my {not so} randomly tried and loved recipes. Today's Thursday Treat is Berry-licious Chocolate Mini Muffins:

I have made those more than a dozen times and love the result each time. I made a fresh batch yesterday to bring to my daughter's school as a Valentine's treat today. If you love chocolate and berries together, you'll most probably love these. I have borrowed the original chocolate muffin recipe from one of my favorite dessert cook books "Chocolate & Baking" and have adapted it to make it healthier and suit my taste, namely: lots of berries, a touch of cinnamon & vanilla and less sugar. Here is the recipe :

Products (for 24 mini muffins):

• 1.5 cup all-purpose flour; 
• 1/3 cup white or brown sugar (I prefer less sugary berry muffins; the original recipe called for 1/2 cup)
• 1 tbs baking soda; 
• 1 tbs unsweetened cocoa; 
• 1 egg; 
• 1 & 1/3 cups 2% milk (when available, I substitute with Almond Milk - original or vanilla - it has 50% less calories and is delicious); 
• 4 tbs butter (melted); 
• cinnamon & vanilla to taste (I put 1 teaspoon of each); 
• 1.5 cups berries (fresh or frozen: I use the organic frozen variety from Trader Joe's and if the mix contains strawberries, I cut them in small pieces)
• food coloring, if desired (e.g. I added pink to half of my mixture for Valentine's Day)

(Heat oven to 350F) 

Preparation:

1. Mix all dry ingredients (flour, sugar, soda, cocoa and cinnamon) together
2. Mix wet ingredients (eggs, milk, butter and vanilla)
3. Gently fold wet ingredients into the dry mix; no need to over-mix (the more you mix, the smoother the texture of the muffins - thus, proceed based on your liking)
4. Add the berries to the mixture
5. (optional) Add desired food coloring
6. Spoon 3/4 cup-full into mini muffin tins
7. Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes, depending on the oven

Enjoy with your loved ones!

Do you have a favorite muffin recipe? I would love if you'd share it!