Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease thoroughly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt for the vanilla batter.
- In a separate medium bowl, lightly whisk the egg, milk, oil, and vanilla extract until just combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to mix only until just moistened. A few streaks of flour are acceptable; do not overmix.
- In a small bowl, whisk the sifted cocoa powder and boiling water (or coffee) together until smooth and glossy to create the chocolate portion.
- Scoop approximately two-thirds of the main vanilla batter into a separate, clean bowl.
- Gently fold the cocoa mixture into the smaller portion of vanilla batter until it is mostly combined, creating the chocolate batter.
- Alternate large scoops of the vanilla batter and the chocolate batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each liner about ¾ full.
- Insert a butter knife or small skewer into the centre of each filled cup and gently swirl 1-2 times to create the marble effect. Do not over-agitate the batter.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Immediately reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue baking for an additional 15–18 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Let muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.