About This Recipe

Raspberry and white chocolate is one of the great flavour pairings in baking, the sharp, fruity tartness of the raspberry and the sweet, milky richness of the white chocolate complementing each other in a way that makes both ingredients taste more intensely of themselves. In muffin form, this combination produces one of the most visually appealing and most genuinely delicious options in the entire muffin repertoire.

Fresh raspberries are superior to frozen in this recipe because their lower moisture content prevents the surrounding batter from becoming wet during baking. Frozen raspberries release significant quantities of purple-red juice during baking that can stain the surrounding batter and produce a wet, undercooked appearance even when the muffin is fully cooked.

White chocolate chips should be folded into the batter rather than pressed on top, because white chocolate has a lower melting point than dark and will caramelise to an unappetising brown if exposed directly to the oven heat on the surface of the muffin. Chips held inside the batter are protected and melt to soft, creamy pockets.

History and Origins

The combination of white chocolate and raspberry became particularly fashionable in British and American bakeries in the 1990s when white chocolate became widely available as a baking ingredient. The pairing appears across multiple formats from tarts to cheesecakes to blondies. The muffin version became one of the most popular coffee shop offerings in the early 2000s.

Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins

Recipe by By butter u0026 berries

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

32

minutes

Calories

3120

kcal

Ingredients

• •t300g plain flour

• •t180g white sugar

• •t2 tsp baking powder

• •t0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• •t0.5 tsp salt

• •t2 large eggs

• •t120ml melted butter

• •t180ml buttermilk

• •t1 tsp vanilla extract

• •t200g fresh raspberries

• •t150g white chocolate chips

Directions

• Preheat oven to 220C. Line a 12-hole muffin tin.
• Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
• Whisk eggs, melted butter, buttermilk and vanilla.
• Fold wet into dry until just combined.
• Gently fold in raspberries and white chocolate chips.
• Divide between cases filling three quarters full.
• Bake at 220C for 5 minutes then reduce to 190C for 15 minutes.
• Cool 5 minutes then transfer to rack.

Notes

• Fold raspberries in with the absolute minimum number of strokes. One or two sweeps of the spatula is enough. Over-folding breaks the raspberries apart and produces a pink-streaked batter that loses the distinct bursts of fruit.
  Use fresh raspberries rather than frozen for this specific recipe. Frozen raspberries bleed heavily into the batter before and during baking, staining the surrounding crumb purple and making the muffins look underdone even when fully cooked.
  White chocolate chips belong inside the batter not on top. White chocolate has a low melting point and caramelises to an unappetising brown when exposed to direct oven heat on the surface.
  The high-low temperature technique produces the characteristic tall dome. The initial 220C blast sets the dome shape before the batter has time to spread sideways.
  For a bakery-quality finish press two or three extra whole raspberries onto the top of each muffin after filling the cases but before baking. They burst attractively during cooking and create the jewel-like appearance seen in professional photographs.
  If using frozen raspberries add them directly from the freezer without thawing, fold in immediately, and bake straight away. Working fast minimises the juice bleed.
  A small amount of lemon zest added to the batter emphasises the raspberry flavour without making these lemon muffins. The citrus brightness amplifies the fruit tartness.

Make Ahead Tips

Best eaten on the day of baking. Keep at room temperature for 2 days. Freeze for 3 months.

Storage and Serving

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. The raspberries release juice over time and the muffins become moister. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Variations and Substitutions

Replace raspberries with strawberries cut into small pieces for a different but equally appealing combination with the white chocolate. Use blackberries for a more intense, slightly more tart version. Add lemon zest to the batter for a lemon raspberry white chocolate muffin that is particularly popular in summer. Replace white chocolate chips with dark chocolate chips for a raspberry dark chocolate muffin with a dramatically different flavour character. Add a teaspoon of almond extract alongside the vanilla for a subtle marzipan note that pairs well with both the raspberry and white chocolate. Make mini versions at 190C for 10 to 12 minutes for elegant party portions.

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