Muffin cakes

Lately, whenever I open the pantry I am greeted by this

They’ve been in there for a couple of weeks. Different ones on different days. I think they are on a rota or something.

Mayhem reminds me every day that the dinos would like some muffins. Mayhem himself does not like muffins so he isn’t in this for gain.

Today was the coolest it has been in weeks, which is not so cool really, more like the difference between 94 degrees and humid and 91 degrees and not quite as humid. So I decided to take pity on the dinosaurs & make them some muffins.

I was out of bananas so my standby recipe was out & I went looking for something new.  I found a recipe for peanut butter muffins written on a random scrap of paper in my mom’s old Good Housekeeping Cookbook. I had all the ingredients, so I went with it. But I used some chocolate peanut butter I bought at the Mennonite market.

 

I don’t know where the tiger came from, but the triceratops is missing.

I mixed it all together & the batter was much more cake like than muffin like and there was entirely too much mixing for the muffin method (as I know from watching Alton Brown religiously for years) . Still, cupcakes are always welcome.

 

There was some undignified squabbling over who got to lick the bowl

 

I had to bake them in 2 batches because my oven scoffs at the idea of baking 2 trays at once & having them come out remotely cooked properly. While the first batch was cooking a part of the baking element turned white orange & started sparking (which I didn’t realize until I took the muffins out). Sparking baking elements don’t give off heat so the muffins were not quite as done as they might have been.

If there was any chocolate icing left – I’m looking at you DH – I’d ice them. Mayhem would eat one then. If I could find the confection sugar I’d give them a dusting of that. But they are delicious as is.

I called around & no one within 50 miles of here has a replacement baking element for my 13 year old Maytag. I had to order the part online and in 5-7 business days I can bake the other batch of muffins…cupcakes…baked thingies….

Chocolate Peanut Butter Baked Thingies

2 cups flour

2 teas baking powder

1/2 teas salt

1/2 cup chocolate & peanut butter spread (or Nutella, or just peanut butter)

1/3 cup soft butter, but not melted

1 teas vanilla

1 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup mini peanut butter chips (or chocolate or both)

2 mixing bowls – a big one & a not as big one

Don’t make my mistake. Expecting muffins I mixed this by hand. Use a blender.

Preheat your oven to 375

In the not as big bowl mix the flour, baking powder & salt.

In the big bowl cream together the butter, vanilla & the chocolate peanut butter spread. Then mix in the brown sugar one half cup at a time. Then add the eggs one at a time. Mix thoroughly with every addition. Then alternate adding some of the flour & some of the milk until it all incorporated. Mix in chips. It will look like cake batter.

Pour into lined muffin tins, about 3/4 of the way full. It will make 18-24 muffins depending on your definition of “3/4 of the way”. I never manage 3/4 and I ended up with 18 filled muffin cups

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, test for doneness with a toothpick & bake for 5 minutes more if needed