Chocolate Protein Ganache Muffins

Muffins

• 1.75 cups almond flour
• 2 scoops FlavCity Chocolate Protein Smoothie*
• .5 teaspoon baking soda
• .25 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons whole milk (optional, use only if batter is too thick)
• .5 cup dark chocolate chips

Ganache

• .75 cups heavy cream
• 1.25 cups dark chocolate chips
• 1 scoop FlavCity Chocolate Protein Smoothie
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• .5 teaspoon sea salt

• Preheat the oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with unbleached tulip muffin liners.
• Prepare the muffin batter. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, 2 scoops FlavCity Protein Smoothie, and baking soda. Mix well, then set aside.
• In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter, maple syrup, and eggs. Whisk to combine, then add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until half way combined. Then add the chocolate chips and fold them into the batter. If the batter is too thick, add up to 2 tablespoons of milk to loosen it up a little bit. Batter should still be thick, but slightly wet.
• Add the batter to the muffin liners between ½ to ¾ full, filling up to 8 muffin liners evenly with the batter.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the center is set and when an inserted toothpick comes out clean. (Please note, if you insert a toothpick into a muffin and hit a gooey chocolate chip it may look like it’s still not cooked through, even though it is. So feel free to poke another muffin to accurately check for doneness.) Remove the pan from the oven and set it aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, start making the ganache. Add the heavy cream to a double boiler over medium/high heat until it’s very warm to the touch. (You do not want to boil the heavy cream). Stir occasionally to prevent a ‘skin’ from forming.
• Then reduce the heat to low and add the chocolate chips, stirring until the chips are melted. Then slowly add 1 scoop of the FlavCity Protein Smoothie, stirring constantly to combine.
• Once the cream, chocolate chips, and smoothie powder are fully combined, remove the mixture from heat. Finish by adding the butter, vanilla extract, and sea salt, and whisk until the mixture is shiny and smooth, and all of the ingredients are fully combined. Allow the ganache to cool for 5-10 minutes before adding it to a zipper top or piping bag. Set aside.
• Once the muffins have cooled, take an apple corer and gently insert it about ½ way deep into each muffin. Remove the excess cake from each muffin to create a well for the ganache.
• Snip a corner of the zipper top bag, and pipe the ganache into the center of the muffins until it reaches the top. Enjoy them immediately or store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.