Valentine's chocolate yogurt snack cakes

Chocolate Yogurt Snack Cakes

From David Lebovitz’s The Sweet Life in Paris on Smitten Kitchen's blog

Makes 16 or so mini muffins

Ingredients

7 ounces (200 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (125 ml) vegetable oil
1/2 cup (125 ml) plain, low-fat yogurt (mine was 9% fat from Central Market brand)
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I didn't have any, tasted fine!)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups (200 grams) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter the pan or coat w/non-stick spray.

In a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, melt the chocolate with 1/4 cup of the oil. Once melted and smooth, remove from the heat. You could also melt the chocolate in the microwave by zapping and stirring in 15 second increments.

3. In another bowl, mix the remaining 1/4 cup oil with yogurt, sugar, eggs and vanilla and almond extracts.

4. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the yogurt mixture. Stir lightly a couple times, then add the melted chocolate and stir until just smooth.

5. Divide the batter among the muffin cups and bake for 20ish minutes or until they feel barely set in the middle and a tester or toothpick comes out clean.

6. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Dust w/powder sugar and serve. I added hearts because I baked them for my boyfriend his roommates on Valentine's day. Needless to say, they all love me (and the muffins!)