I know, I know I have been kind of remiss lately about blogging. To be brutally honest, I haven’t had much to write about, unless of course, you want the boring minutae of how I get up, go to work, come home cook dinner, make lunches go to bed, do the same thing the next day, you getting the picture here?!

Well anyway I shook myself up tonight and managed to whip up not just one batch of muffins, but two!!! (don’t fall off your seat at this point in shock!)

I was tweaking things round a bit after having sampled a Starbucks wakey wakey muffin this am, courtesy of free muffin day. I managed to come up with a surprisingly good replica, so here it is for all you muffin lovers to try……

Arkonite’s version of the Starbucks wakey wakey muffin

(the main part of this recipe is my Aun’t bran muffin recipe and part of another recipe from my Muffins book by Gemma Reece)

1 cup plain flour
1tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup raisins
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup all bran cereal – crushed
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp molasses or treacle
1 large egg
1/4 b rown sugar – packed
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup poorridge oats
1 tsp cinnamon
Grate nutmeg.

Combine flour, bp, bs, salt and raisins in a large bowl
Stir together. Make a well in the centre stir in buttermilk. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Combine remaining ingredients starting with the bran in order listed in a seperate bowl. Beat together with a spoon until well mixed.
Add this to the large boel and mix together, just stir enough to moisten, don’t beat it, the batter should be lumpy!

Place in a 12 cup muffin pan, lined or greased.

Bake at 375f or 190c for 20 – 25 minutes. Test -when a toothpick comes out clean, they’re done.
Cool in tray for 5 mins then transfer to wire rack.

Tip – I use a potato/ice cream scoop to portion these out as it’s less mess

Now for the second recipe…..

Banana, peanut butter and pecan muffins

Basic Sweet Muffin mix:
1 cup plain flour
2 tea spoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg
1 banana
3 tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 cup chopped nuts of your choice (I used pecans)

In one bowl combine all the dry ingredients, including chopped nuts and mix well.
In a seperate bowl, mix all the wet ingredients and add to this one mashed banana and 3 table spoons peanut butter, mix well to blend.
Mix the 2 bowls together until just combined and no more. Over mixing leads to tough muffins.
Divide the mix between a 12 cup muffin pan which has been lined.
Bake at 375f or 190c for 20 – 25 minutes. Test -when a toothpick comes out clean, they’re done.
Cool in tray for 5 mins then transfer to wire rack.

Now sit down and enjoy with a cuppa or do as I am and pack one for your breakfast!