novel34

  I confess.  I love chocolate and it doesn't matter what kind of chocolate it is.  Dark, milk . . .   in cakes and cookies . . .  good candy bars, good chocolates . . . pies and puddings.   The only kind I am not fond of is chocolate milk or chocolate ice cream.  I'm not even really fussy on hot chocolate drinks.  I don't know why that is. It is a mystery to me too. The Toddster of course, he doesn't like chocolate in any form other than chocolate candies or hot chocolate.   I know!  It just ain't human, but I'm not complaining as that always means more brownies for me!!   Chocolate Baked goods are notoriously difficult to get a good photograph of.  I don't know why that is.   I apologize for a lack of tasty photos of these fabulously delicious muffins.   No matter how I tried, they just did not want to come out right.  Nevermind . . . You will just have to take my word for it that they are...

  We are awfully fond of doughnuts in this house.  I especially like the Crispy Cremes we can get at the local Tesco and on the Motorway.  Occasionally I will buy a box to treat the missionaries with, and  . . . we have been known to indulge in one or two when we are on a lengthy trip along the motorway.  But deep fried doughnuts are a once in a blue moon treat for us, which is as it should be.   I am not adverse to baking doughnuts however.  I bought myself several doughnut baking pans last year and I break them out every so often.  Baked doughnuts are still a real treat, except they are not fried.  I guess they are a bit like muffins, except they are shaped like doughnuts.  What's not to like about that?  In the past year I have made . . . Baked Chai Spice Doughnuts . Honey Glazed Granola Doughnuts . Baked Chocolate Buttermilk Doughnut s. White Chocolate Drizzled Gingerbread Doughnuts.   Jam Filled Baked Cinnamon Doughnu...

I love muffins.  I love them even more than cupcakes.   Cupcakes are nice, but they don't stay with you as long as a muffin does.  Muffins are heavier and when you eat one, you feel satisfied.  A muffin is a meal that feels and tastes like a real treat.    I saw a joke poster the other day that said that once you lick the frosting off a cupcake that turns it into a muffin . . . so that made it a healthy option.  I beg to differ on several fronts.  A cupcake can never be a muffin . . . muffins aren't cake.   And a muffin can't be a cupcake, not if it's a true muffin that is . . . they are two completely different animals.  Mind you . . . that is only my opinion. They also differ greatly when it comes down to mixing them up.   Cupcake batter is mixed like cake batter . . . you cream the fats and sugars together first until light and then you beat in the egg (s) . . . adding the dry and wet ingredient alternately and normally mi...

       When the kids were growing up we often popped across the border into the US to go shopping, especially when the Canadian dollar was almost on par.   We got a lot of bang for our bucks then!  Food in American was always a lot cheaper and we got tons of bargains.   We would come home with our car boot absolutely bursting!     One thing I always loved to pick up was the Thomas's Toaster Muffins.  They came in several varities but my favourite ones were always the Corn Toaster Muffins  I am a big fan of corn muffins!     I found this recipe recently on Serious Eats.  It looked delicious and very similar to the Thomas's Toaster Muffins I had so enjoyed.  I just had to print it out and give them a go.   I was not disappointed.   They were fabulous!  Not too sweet, with a hearty texture . . . and just the perfect size for popping into the toaster.  Perf...