When I woke up this morning, it was a real winters morning, it was overcast windy and the clouds where threatening to open up and rain.

Just before tea time the heaven’s opened up and it started to pour.

While watching the rain, all I could think about was a delicious slab of Lindt chilli chocolate, but alas I was too lazy and too cold to drive to the store to buy myself a slab, so the next best thing was to bake some muffins.

I came across this hearty spiced cocoa muffins with contained a hint of strong pepper, to warm me up on this cold day… just what the doctor ordered or should I say what they weather man predicted.

The recipe makes 12 medium sized muffins.

Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ x cup cake flour.
• ¾ x cup castor sugar.
• 6 x tbsp. cocoa powder.
• 2 x tsp baking powder.
• ½ x tsp bicarbonate of soda.
• 2 x tsp cinnamon powder.
• ¼ x tsp clove powder.
• ¼ x tsp cayenne pepper.
• 1 x tsp salt.
• 1 x cup rice milk.
• ½ x cup oil.
• ½ x cup chocolate chips.
• ½ x cup chopped walnuts.
• 2 x tbsp. ground flax seed
• 4 x tbsp. hot water

Method:

• In a bowl, mix together the flax seed and water to make the flax egg, set aside for 15 minutes.
• In another bowl, sift the cake flour and sugar.
• Add the cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon powder, clove powder, cayenne pepper and salt, mix to combine.
• In the flax seed bowl, add the oil and milk and whisk to mix.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, give it a good mix.
• Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.
• Fill your muffin casings ¾ of the way.
• Pop into a preheated oven and bake at 180 degrees for 30 – 35 minutes or until the cake tester comes out clean.