Double Chocolate and Raspberry Muffins

     

My girls are all pretty active kids and are always on the go. Between swim class and karate class, each several times a week, their afternoons are filled with fun physical activities. When they're not swimming or practicing their karate kicks, they're bike riding, skateboarding, scooting, rollerblading or walking. Not owning a car definitely makes for active kids! I love how much incidental exercise they get.

With the girls being so active I need to ensure that they're getting the energy they need from the food they eat. While we definitely have treats, I try to make sure that their meals are healthy and balanced. There's no more important meal to an active kid's day than breakfast, but that doesn't mean that it should be boring and tasteless. A simple way to give my kids a glass full of the energy their bodies need, and the flavor they love, is to serve a glass of Nesquik chocolate milk with their breakfast.

On weekends I like to mix things up a little and give my girls a bit of a treat for breakfast. Sometimes we have pancakes and sometimes croissants, but one of my favorite treats to make for breakfast is muffins. Muffins are great as you can make them any flavor you like. My favorite is white chocolate and raspberry. This weekend, I mixed things up a little more and added extra chocolately goodness to our muffins by making them double chocolate with the addition of Nesquik chocolate powder. They were so incredibly tasty I just have to share the recipe with you.

What you'll need:

1/4 Cup Butter, softened

1/2 Cup Sugar

1 Egg

1 Cup Milk

3 Tablespoons Nesquik Chocolate Powder

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

2 Cups Flour

8 Ounces White Chocolate Chips

1/2 Cup Raspberries (fresh or frozen)

Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).

In a small bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.

Add the egg and mix through.

Slowly pour in the milk, mixing as you go.

In a larger bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and white chocolate chips.

Add three tablespoons of Nesquik chocolate powder.

Mix the dry ingredients together with a whisk.

Slowly add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix together.

Fold through the raspberries, being careful not to crush them completely.

Prepare your muffin tray by spraying it with a little baking spray or oil. Cut baking paper into 6" squares to use as your muffin cases. Working one at a time, place a square of baking paper over a hole in the muffin tray and push the center of it in. The spray will help hold it in place but you'll still need to hold it as you fill it. Using a spoon, fill the muffin hole to the top. This sounds fiddlier than it is. It's actually pretty easy once you get the hang of it. If you prefer, using regular muffin or cupcake cases. Or, if you muffin tray truly is non-stick (which in my experience they never are!) you can skip the muffin case all together.

Once you've filled the muffin tray place it in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes or until a metal skewer poked into the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool a little then enjoy - with a tall glass of cold Nesquik chocolate milk, of course!

After a delicious breakfast we rode our bikes to the park for karate class.

While their breakfast may have been a delicious treat (trust me, those muffins and the glass of chocolate milk were pretty tasty!) it also gave them the energy they needed for a morning of karate and fun in the park. One glass of Nesquik chocolate milk provides Iron to help with growth and development, Vitamin C for a healthy immune system, 3 essential B Vitamins for energy, Copper to help with iron absorption and the formation of red blood cells, and Manganese to support healthy bones. Plus the goodness of the milk!

Go Karate Lola, go!

For more delicious breakfast recipes and inspiration, check out Nesquik on Pinterest here.

Are there any special treats you like to make your kids for breakfast on the weekend? Or even on a week day? I'd love to hear what gives your kids the energy they need for being kids. Feel free to share your favorite breakfast treats and recipes in the comments.