Recipe

Method

1. Preheat oven to gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C) and grease your baking tray

2. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a large bowl

3. In a separate bowl mix together the egg, sugar, milk and melted butter

4. Now return the dry ingredients to the sieve and sift them straight on to the egg mixture (this double sifting is essential because there won't be much mixing going on)

5. Take a fork and fold the dry ingredients into the wet ones - gently for about 15 seconds (over-mixing will cause the muffins to be dense). Don't be tempted to beat or stir, and don't be alarmed by the rather unattractive, uneven appearance of the mixture: this, in fact, is what will ensure that the muffins stay light

6. Now fold the chocolate drops into the mixture - again with a minimum of stirring; just a gentle folding in

7. Divide the mixture between the muffin cups, about 1 flat teaspoon in each, and bake on a high shelf in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, until well risen.

8. Remove the muffins from the oven and cool in the tins for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling tray

9. While they're cooling, place the remaining chocolate drops into a small bowl. Then place this into a saucepan of barely simmering water without allowing the bowl to touch the water, and allow the chocolate to melt

10. When the muffins are cool enough to handle, spoon a little melted chocolate on to each one, then place it back on the cooling tray and fix a cherry on top. 

Dust with icing sugar and serve

Recipe Tester Notes: Not over mixing is super important in this recipe. These also can be made in a standard size cupcake tin and come out well; these larger ones will take about 12 minutes.