PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE MUFFIN TOPS

A couple of years ago I bought this pan at an antique show. I liked that it was granite and obviously had been used (and abused).  Because the cups are not as deep as a muffin pan, I wasn't really sure what to cook in it. I think Janice told me her daddy liked his cornbread cooked in a pan like it.

I think I used it one time right after I got it, but don't remember what I baked in it. 

I keep seeing recipes for muffin tops and finally remembered this pan. I decided it would be perfect for them.

At an estate sale several weeks ago, I bought a cookbook called Mad about Muffins by Dot Vartan. There are quite a few recipes that I want to try in it, but for my first one, I chose a recipe called Peanut Butter Chocolate. I basically used her recipe except that I substituted a sugar and stevia blend for the sugar and reduced the amount by half. I also used dark chocolate chips for the semi-sweet ones. The muffin isn't real sweet, just the way my husband likes them, but if you like a sweeter muffin, you might want to use semi-sweet or milk chocolate chocolate chips.  I also used soft wheat pastry flour for the all-purpose flour.

         PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE MUFFIN TOPS

1-3/4     cups soft wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
3           teaspoons baking powder
1/4        teaspoon salt
3           tablespoons cocoa
1/4        cup sugar and stevia blend (or 1/2 cup sugar)
6           tablespoons margarine, melted
3/4        cup creamy peanut butter
2/3        cup skim milk
1           large egg
1           teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2        cup dark chocolate chips (or your favorite)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray shallow muffin tin with cooking spray.

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add cocoa and sugar. 

Beat peanut butter, melted butter, milk, egg, and vanilla with mixer until smooth scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Pour in chips and flour mixture.

Stir. (batter is thick)

Divide evenly in muffin tin.

Bake in oven for 15 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center of a muffin. Toothpick should be clean. (Try to avoid a chocolate chip) Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 2 - 3 minutes.

Remove from pan and continue to cool on rack.









Great eaten when still warm with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee.