Chocolate Chip Orange Muffins

Sometimes you just have to bake! I was really really craving something small and sweet but didn't want to venture out into the world. I felt good when I saw a lot of social distancing while shopping the other day but then I drove by the beach...sigh... And naturally I didn't pick up any snackies because I was saving money. Guess I have to make some! I had everything on hand for Chocolate Chip Orange Muffins from the 1971's edition of Hershey's 1934 Cookbook.

Easy recipe and only make a dozen. Nice! So many older baking recipes make lots to share. Not being in a sharing situation I appreciate a single family recipe. I used a mix of semi-sweet and bitter-sweet chocolate chips and my last mandarin orange.

I know I took a picture of the ingredients. I set everything out all pretty, a nice pile of chocolate chips, a cute mandarin orange...I have no idea what happened to it. It disappeared! So let's jump to step 2: milk, egg, and oil added to the flour mix.

Best step, adding the chocolate chips! The orange zest adds a nice, bright touch of color.

I used baking liners because I'm that kind of person. I planned on giving some away and storing some so liners just make it easier. Easier for clean up as well. The recipe said 12 muffins so that's what I did. The dough only filled the liners halfway, less than what I would normally do.

They are so cute! Naturally they did not get as big as the muffins nowadays, we are bigger muffin people now.

These smell so good...

Yes, I took them out of the liners for pictures.

I had to sample one just out of the oven (who doesn't love a warm muffin?!) and was less than impressed. The chocolate was good but overall the muffin was bland. So, I took a few pictures, separated them to give away, and sat down to watch tv and think about my sewing pile. The next morning I was feeling a bit peckish. I'm not much of a breakfast person but the muffin seemed just the right amount. Wow! What a difference a night makes. These taste so much better after cooling off completely. A nice light hint of orange. I think milk chocolate chips would actually taste better.

My Rating: Good! A nice little muffin!

Friends and Family Rating: "These are delicious. I ate them all..." "My son loved the muffins! My friend said they were the best she ever had."

Chocolate Cherry Cordial

Between work and my surprising new side gig, dog sitting, I have not been able to spend as much time as I want baking lately. Consider this a late Valentine's day treat. Who doesn't love chocolate cherry cordials! Cherry cordials actually remind me more of the holidays than valentines but they look very valentines-y.

This recipe was requested as payment for the cookbook Hershey's 1934 Cookbook. It is a 1971 reprint and contains a whole section on life in the 30's, "A decade of mixed blessings."

Canning looks so exciting in the 30's! You have to wonder if she is canning something chocolate...why would you can chocolate?

Although I love old recipes, I am not the person who gets excited to do a bunch of research. This kind of updated recipe is right up my alley. Just old enough to be vintage but not too old to understand.

I confess...I did not use Hershey's chocolates.

 I don't have a double boiler so a pan on a boiling pot will have to do. The mix of semi-sweet and milk chocolate is interesting.

While that is melting, I got to work on the centers. My kitchen is small enough to do 2 things at once.

It's like play dough! I was very tempted to switch out the vanilla and almond flavoring for rum or brandy. Maybe next time...definitely next time!

 So cute! All ready for their chocolate coats. There was enough filling for just under 4 dozen cherries.

 So tempting to just eat spoonfuls of the chocolate. But I resisted.

The shallow pan made rolling the cherries very easy. I should have let the chocolate cool a bit more because it started to melt some of the fillings. I was not able to swirl the chocolate for a decorative touch.

 After a short time in the fridge and a couple of days on the counter, they are finally ready!

Well, unfortunately the centers never liquified. They are delicious but not exactly what they are suppose to be.

These were so easy and quite delicious but the cordials never formed. I suspect it was human error and that I left them in the fridge a little too long. Personally I thought the chocolate was a little too thick in part of the cherries but that came from rolling them. I have a chocolate mold for chocolate covered cherries that I will probably use next time. I loved the taste of the mixed chocolates!

My Rating: Keeper! But I'll try some other flavors next time. Just for fun.

Friends and Family Rating: "Amazing!" "Wow, these are so good."