// Edit: Sunday, October 28th at 8:52pm. Well friends, it’s time to announce the winner of the raffle! I had planned to write a new post for this, but alas I am plain tuckered out. The random number picker hath decreed that comment #55 is the winner, which means that Teya won a copy of “Enlightened Chocolate” - yay! Thank you to everyone who participated - perhaps I’ll do another raffle in November? //

Thank you to everyone who answered the question I asked in my Pumpkin Currant Cookies post! As promised I’m posting the results of the book raffle that was part of that entry. I used a random number picker to select the winner, and that lucky person was Claire of Cookthink!

Congratulations Claire, and to everyone else, don’t be too bummed because guess what: I have another book to give away! Enlightened Chocolate, by Camilla Saulsbury, two copies of which showed up on my doorstep the other day, and one of which I would love to send to you. The recipes in this book range from Spanish hot chocolate with orange, espresso and spice, to chocolate souffles with raspberry sauce, to the yummy chocolate-flecked multigrain muffins you see pictured above. And if all that chocolatey goodness isn’t enough for you, consider this - the recipes in this book are healthy. Not carrot or spinach healthy, mind you, but healthy in the sense that they feature whole grains, dark or bitter-sweet chocolate and dried or fresh fruits. (There is one recipe the includes corn syrup and I wasn’t a fan of that, but otherwise everything looked good.) The chocolate muffins you see here satisfy in the melt-in-your-mouth way that chocolate should, while also delighting your tastes with toasted wheat germ, whole grain flour, cinnamon and diced dates. Together these flavors pack a serious punch that you can enjoy guilt-free, since each muffin has a mere 219 calories and 8.9 grams of fat. Not bad for a sweet treat if you ask me, and certainly welcome with a tall glass of cold milk or a hot cup of homemade pumpkin-spice latte.

That’s all for now - I’d write more but, alas, household chores and homework assignments demand my attention! The process for winning this book is identical as the one employed for Olive Oil Baking. If you would like to win it answer the following question in the comments section of this post and I’ll randomly select a winner on Sunday October 27th. Comments that don’t answer the question will not be entered into the book raffle.

Answer this question for a chance to win a free copy of this book: What is your favorite way to eat chocolate?

Chocolate-Flecked Multigrain Muffins
Adapted from Enlightened Chocolate, by Camilla Saulsbury

Ingredients: Makes 12 muffins

• 1 cup + 2tbs whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 packed dark brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (not dutch process)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 2/3 cups chopped dried dates
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbs boiling water
• 2 ounces semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl whisk the flour, sugar, brown sugar, wheat germ, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt until blended. Stir in the oats and dates. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

In small bowl whisk the buttermilk, olive oil, vanilla and egg, then add the liquid to the flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in boiling water. Let batter stand 15 minutes. Stir in the chocolate.

Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake 18-20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from the tin immediately. Place on a wire rack and cool.