Peanut Butter Muffins

Peanut butter is a staple food for many of us. From peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to peanut butter cookies to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, this little spread is a powerhouse of protein, nutrients, and yum.

When I was a kid I loved peanut butter …and jelly but not peanut butter and jelly. I wanted the peanut butter on a plate with the jelly near it but not touching and the bread cut in a heart shape, toasted and to the side – not touching the peanut butter and jelly. It isn’t that I was picky or anything… Now they would call it an unconstructed peanut butter sandwich and charge $40 for the plate… I was just ahead of my time.

It wasn’t until my mom brought home marshmallow fluff that I discovered the joy of peanut butter on toasted bread with bananas and marshmallow fluff. It wasn’t so much that I was a gourmand as it was that I had a giant sweet tooth.

Muffins make a great breakfast, and adding peanut butter to the mix is just different enough to keep it new. I wanted to be even more decadent so I added chocolate chips as well. These freeze really well, like all muffins, and you can easily make a batch or two on the weekend and warm one up every morning for breakfast.

If I wasn’t trying to lose weight, if I was eating carbs, and if I had thought of it, I would have added a marshmallow the center of these. Not that I am encouraging you to eat junk food or anything… Especially not for breakfast. I was merely letting you know it could be done.

You probably have most, if not all, of the ingredients in your pantry. Nothing sophisticated or gourmet about these. Just good.

You will need the following ingredients plus chocolate chips. I didn’t get them in the picture because I thought of them after I took the picture. Duh.

If you like step by step photos you can find them under the recipe box.

Peanut Butter Muffins

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

30 minutes

Yield: 1 dozen

Carbs: Carbs:43.0

Calories per serving: 292

Fat per serving: 11.1

Moist, rich peanut butter muffins with melting chocolate in every bite. The sweet streusel on top adds crunch.

Ingredients

2 tbs butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons of chopped peanuts, optional
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1 egg
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbs peanut butter
2 tbs butter
1 cup milk
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F.
Grease a muffin pan or use muffin cups.
Mix the 2 tbs butter, 1/4 c brown sugar, and 1/4 c flour with your fingers until crumbly. Add in chopped peanuts if desired.
Set aside.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter.
Beat the egg.
Add the sugar gradually, beating constantly.
Mix peanut butter with melted butter.
Add the milk to the peanut butter mixture.
Add the milk mixture to the egg and sugar mixture.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Add to the milk mixture, stirring just until moistened. Batter will be lumpy but you should not be able to see flour.
Fold in the chocolate chips if you are using them.
Spoon batter into the prepared muffin pan.
Sprinkle the butter-brown sugar crumbs over the top.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

http://www.restlesschipotle.com/2012/01/peanut-butter-muffins/

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan but do not let brown. Stir in the peanut butter until it is smooth. Set aside.

Beat the eggs until well mixed. Whisk in the brown sugar and then the peanut butter mixture. Add the milk slowly and whisk until smooth.

Mix the dry ingredients and add to the egg mixture.

You should never over mix muffin batter. Just mix it quickly with a fork until the flour is not visible. There will be a pebbly texture to the batter. That’s fine.

Add the chocolate chips and just fold in quickly.

Spoon into prepared muffins tins. Using a scoop will keep the muffins uniform in size and they will all bake the same…PLUS you will always get the same yield from your recipe.

Make the streusel by Mixing the remaining brown sugar and flour together. Now rub in the remaining butter until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over the tops of the muffins. Bake as directed.