Chocolate and Blueberry Muffins

To make these muffins, start by sifting the all-purpose flour together with the baking powder into a large bowl, then add the vanilla sugar and a pinch of salt and briefly mix so the dry ingredients combine evenly.

In another bowl, beat the eggs with the granulated sugar until pale and foamy (by hand 2-3 minutes, with an electric mixer 1-2 minutes). Add the melted, not hot, butter and lukewarm milk and mix until smooth.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently fold with a whisk or spatula just until combined - do not overmix. The correct consistency is thicker than pancake batter but still pourable. When the batter falls from a spoon in a ribbon, it's fine.

Roughly chop the chocolate. Rinse and dry the blueberries, then lightly coat them in a tablespoon of flour so they don't sink during baking. Gently fold both into the batter with a spatula, using just a few strokes so it stays fluffy.

Preheat the oven to 180 °C (top and bottom heat). Grease a 12-muffin tin or line it with paper cases.

Divide the batter evenly among the 12 molds - fill about 2/3 full. For even portions, use two spoons or a kitchen scale.

Bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven. Start checking after 20 minutes. Muffins are done when the tops are golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If your oven bakes unevenly, rotate the tray halfway through.

After removing from the oven, let the muffins cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes, then remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely if you plan to decorate them.

Serve warm or cooled. They are good plain, with a bit of butter, jam, or dusted with powdered sugar.