peanut butter muffins

Slowly but steadily I'm cooking my way through 'In the Kitchen' and now up to Recipe Number 4. I'd probably get through this book much faster if I cooked more but unknown to most, my dad actually has reign over the kitchen. The one time I cooked something for dinner, dad refused to eat it and since then, the only times I've cooked for the family is when dad's been on trip. Mum and my brother have no issues with my cooking, just that dad is a bit old fashioned and prefers to eat things he cooks and thinks my cooking is a bit too new-age and modern for his liking. Ah well, the day he changes his mind, I'll probably find it rather strange so it's better off that it stays the way it is.

Anyway, the fourth recipe I cooked up on a Sunday night was 'Peanut Butter Muffins'. As you can probably gather, I'm working my way through the back section of the book. At some point, I'll get to the savouries but I really do enjoy my sweets. Anyway, it was just convenient that I had half a jar of Crunchy Peanut Butter at home as well as the rest of the ingredients I needed so these muffins were whipped up in a matter of minutes.

Creaming crunchy peanut butter, butter and sugar. The great thing about this recipe is that it smells so good from start to finish (that's if you like peanut butter).

Once all the ingredients get mixed in, it looks a bit lumpy and unappetising but trust me, it was smelling great and only just got better.

After emptying the batter into 12 muffin cases, I thought the muffins were looking a little lonely and ended up putting some chocolate buttons on half the tray. In hindsight, I should've added a few more - the combo of chocolate and peanut butter was fantastic!

The muffins swelled up in the oven and here they are baked after 15 minutes.

I have to give a thumbs up to C&Cs muffin recipes. Out of the two that I've tried so far, the muffins come out so moist and mouthwateringly delicious. 

For breakfast this morning, I nuked one in the oven for about 15 seconds and it was good to go. The texture of the muffin was still moist although eating it this morning, the peanut butter in it seemed to make the muffin stick to the roof of my mouth a bit more (but isn't that what peanut butter is meant to do?) Anyway, it's a great recipe but I do think it could do with a some choc chips tossed throughout. I know it probably makes for a fattier muffin but it just seemed that the muffin was lacking a bit of texture. It was rich in peanut butter flavour but just needed that extra bite.

Anyway, I've still got bits and pieces from the last few lots of baking - I'm thinking I should probably start halving some of the recipes so I don't have so much left over. Unfortunately, there's only so much I can eat before things need to get tossed out!