The Viral Olympic Chocolate Muffin Is As Good As They Say
Most of the time, when a recipe goes viral, it’s easy to find online.
These aren’t the Olympic chocolate muffins that are taking the internet by storm, thanks to Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen, who declared his love for the treat on TikTok.
A video Christiansen posted in late July of the muffins served at the Olympic Village in Paris has been viewed more than 20 million times. Bakers around the world immediately began creating their own versions of the Maxi Muffin Chocolat Intense, a chocolate muffin studded with chocolate chips and filled with more chocolate.
The muffins are supplied to Olympic athletes by French catering company Coup de Pâtes (and according to social media, they are apparently being enjoyed in university dining halls across Europe).
More:Paris 2024 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony: When will it start, how to watch and what to expect?
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I wanted to join in the fun, and even though Coup de Pâtes hinted on Instagram that the recipe wouldn’t be shared, I crossed my fingers and asked anyway. The company recommended Sodexo Live!, a food and beverage production and event company providing catering services during the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get a response from Sodexo, so I started searching the many recipes online. Bakers on social media work hard to achieve perfection, analyzing photos and videos of Olympic athletes eating the muffins to determine the ingredients, baking time, and the proper consistency of the muffin’s chocolate topping.
TikTok Recipes
TikToker Jordan The Stallion claimed to have found the original recipe, but his team couldn’t confirm his “internet sleuthing” work (his muffins look delicious, though). A version made by “MasterChef Australia” contestant Steph de Sousa looked delicious but used yogurt, which I suspected wasn’t authentic.
More:Allie Wilson is the third Monmouth University athlete to compete in the Olympics. How did she do?
I ultimately settled on a recipe created by Kassie Mendieta, a California-based baker who admits to being obsessed with getting these muffins perfect “because just like these athletes, I didn’t set out to make a muffin that was ‘close enough’ to the real thing. I’m here to MAKE THIS MUFFIN,” she said on Instagram.
She shared with today.com her final recipe, which took her a dozen tries. It calls for a combination of dark, semisweet and milk chocolate; resting time for the batter; filling every other muffin tin to allow for even baking; and a gooey topping that benefits from a quick twist of an immersion blender.
This attention to detail reminded me of a “PROFESSIONAL PASTRY CHEF,” which meant the muffins would undoubtedly be delicious.
I knew that without European chocolate, no recipe I made would be 100% accurate, but I rounded up the best my local grocery store had to offer (minus the NestlĂ© cocoa, which I had in my pantry) and went for it. Chances are I’ll still end up with a delicious chocolate muffin, right?
It’s true. These were the most delicious chocolate muffins I’ve ever tasted. I couldn’t believe I made them.
Did they cost me almost $30 to make? Yes. But it’s a lot cheaper than a flight to Paris, and sometimes it’s worth it to partake in the fun.
Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing about all things food since 2014. Send your restaurant tips to sgriesemer@gannettnj.com, Follow us on Instagram at Jersey Shore Eats and subscribe to our Jersey Shore Eats newsletter.
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