This post comes with an apology to my best mate Kate, form The Wild Flour Bakery. Kate really hates cupcakes and if you have been lucky enough to taste her creations, you'll understand why she sees cupcakes as the archenemy of all cakes; I agree with Kate on principle, I find them a bit 1990's and generally uninspiring (with very few exceptions). With a close friend like Kate around, I don't dare bake much these days, and when I do, I don't make a lot of cupcakes, with the exception of the Lime & Beer Cupcakes, I don't tend to make that many.
This recipe, however, has managed to warm its way into my heart, as it combines two of my favourite things: peanut butter and chocolate! I came across it years and years ago in one of my mother's old recipe books. Alan loves them and whenever I have a half hour to kill (not that often these days unfortunately) I make them for us. I originally used full fat milk for this recipe, yet after a chat with Kate and a look at the pictures, she suggested to change the milk for buttermilk to help the muffins rise more. Either way, they taste lovely!
I use crunchy peanut butter as it's nicer and it adds a different texture to the muffins and lately I've been using home made peanut butter, which makes them even more peanuty than normal. If you are buying shop bought one, get one without added sugar, it's healthier and has a better texture. Note that I have branded these as 'muffins' as that's the way mam called them, yet it might be debatable as to whether they are a muffin or a cupcake, either way, they are very tasty so hope you enjoy the recipe!
Preheat the oven at 180° Celsius and line a 12 hole muffin tray with your favourite muffin cases. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) and salt and set aside.
Put the peanut butter and melted butter in a large bowl and mix well using a spatula .
Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla essence and mix well until well incorporated.
Add the flour mixture, followed by the buttermilk and chocolate chips to the peanut butter mixture and incorporate. Do not overly mix, as soon as ingredients are together, stop mixing as muffins will rise better that way.
Spoon the mixture into the lined muffin cases and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the muffins have browned. Take them out of the oven and let them cool in a wire rack.
This muffins are very nice, easy and quick to make. They keep well for three or four days in an air tight container, mind you they never get to see the light of the third day in my house, if I make them in the morning, they are gone by the evening!
