Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins

I love muffins cos they are quick & easy to make... and NK's TOTW 3 is Orange!!! *Chuckle* Texture wise - It's more moist & soft than muffin, that's what I think.

Makes abt 12 Muffins

Dry Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cup Plain Four
• 1-1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chip
  coated with 2 tsp Plain Flour *See note below
  

Wet ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Butter, melted
• 1/2 cup Sugar (increase if u prefect sweeter in taste)
• 3 tbsp (45 g) Cream Cheese, melted *See note below
• 1 Large Egg, lightly beaten
• 1.5 tsp Grated Orange Rind
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) Fresh Orange Juice
• 1/2 tsp Rum (Optional)
  

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 deg F (190 deg C). Sift the dry ingredients (except Choco-chips) into a large bowl & mix well . Make a well at the centre. Set aside.
2. Melt butter in mircowave in HIGH for 30 seconds or till totally melted; Add sugar into the hot butter, stir till sugar dissolved; Add in the rest of the wet ingredient & stir till well-combined.
3. Pour in the wet mixture into the centre of the dry mixture. Using a fork or whisk, stir till just moisten (mixture will be lumpy)... DO NOT OVER STIR! Sprinkle the choc-chips into the batter, stir lightly with 1 - 2 strokes.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups (3/4 full). Bake for abt 20 mins or until tester inserted into the centre comes out clean.
   

Notes to share: - To melt the cream cheese, put it in the microwave in HIGH for abt 15 secs; Take out, stir well and put back to microwave for another 8-10 secs till melted.
- Coat the chocolate chips with plain flour is to prevent it from sinking to the bottom of the muffins. To avoid overmixing of the batter, you can stir them into the dry ingredients b4 pouring the wet mixture into the dry ingredients.