Muffins (baking style!)

Lately I've been retreating to baking, it is something I really enjoy. Time by myself in the kitchen, well most of the time by myself if I wait for Missy A to go off to the land of nod. It's very much a trial and error practice for me having such a large (commercial size) oven but I'm getting there and boy, is it fun getting each batch just perfect?
So in the past week I consulted two books from my almost perfect collection..Nigella's 'Feast' and Stephanie Alexander's 'The Cook's Companion' for two wonderfully easy muffin recipes. I decided to change Stephanie's blueberry muffins for strawberries for no other reason than they were cheaper by a few dollars at my greengrocers so that was my healthy option and from Nigella I chose the Chocolate Choc-Chip Muffins on page 257, it states the batch will make a dozen but I can stretch it out to 15 and sometimes even 16. I often make them with every intention of freezing them for playdates. Most times I can keep at least 4 of them hidden away. I only have a photo of the muffins pre-baked so here is the recipe for you now. Whereas the image above is one of the baked stawberry muffins looking all toothsome and ready to eat.

Recipe:
Chocolate Choc-Chip Muffins by Nigella Lawson (makes 12)
250g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Half-teaspoon bicarbonate soda
2 tablespoons best quality cocoa
175g caster sugar
150g chocolate chips (plus more for sprinkling later)
250ml/1 cup milk
90ml vegetable oil
1 large free range egg
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 200C and fill a 12-bun muffin tray with paper cases.

Weigh out the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Pour all the liquid ingredients into a measuring jug.

Mix both together – it will be a runny batter (remember the lumpier the batter the better for muffins) - then spoon into waiting muffin cases.

Sprinkle more chocolate chips on top then cook for 20 minutes or until the muffins are risen and springy.
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There you have it, so easy and the ultimate winter treat. Last night for dessert we warmed the chocolate muffins slightly in the microwave oven and served them with double thick cream and ice-cream. Mmmmmmmm, need I say more!