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...

Every once in a while I like to revisit something scfrummy which I enjoy eating.  I don't always cook new things every day and today I felt like baking some muffins to enjoy for our breakfast.   I don't always feel like having cereal for breakfast and I don't always fancy having an egg instead either.  Sometimes I like to indulge myself with a delicious fresh baked muffin.   These ones are particular favourites of mine . . . quick and easy to make and they always turn out fabulous!!   I love them and so does everyone I have ever made them for. They're are moist and delicious . . . stogged full of lovely bits of fudge and white chocolate chips, and in all honesty you can also add some toasted chopped nuts if you wish.  It doesn't matter what kind of fudge you use.  You can use the fudge chunks that come ready chopped in bags like chocolate chips, or you can use homemade or storebought fudge, any flavour you want, just so long as you cut it up into smal...

       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...

  I am at heart a rather lazy cook.  I know it may not seem like that, and I can put my shoulder to the wheel when I have to, and often do . . . but basically quick, simple, easy and tasty works for me most of the time.  I had been eyeballing a recipe over on Our Best Bites for a Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread for ages and ages.  Every so often I would go and look at it again, but to be honest . . . it seemed like far too much work and time and so I would walk away . . . lazy gal that I am. Then today I looked at it again and I thought . . . I bet I could do something similar to that using my baking powder biscuit recipe and it would be just as tasty, but made in a fraction of a time.  And so that's is what I did.  I used all butter in my biscuit dough instead of shortening . . . just to up the scrum factor you know. I tend to believe there can never be too much scrum factor.  Anyone who's with me on that put up your hands!  I thought so!  I also...