I’d hit the 3000word mark this morning on an essay I’d been working on. What about? Dig this: the artist’s use of the prostitute’s body in nineteenth century Paris; in relation to modernity, capitalism, consumerism and all that shizzle. I knew I could finish it yesterday evening but I’d decided to go to bed early to rest the eyes. What a sense of relief! Just one more essay to go and I’m done for the term - which means Easter!! The Festival of Chocolate in my humble opinion.

This year has been a bad year. I broke Lent. Blame it on Hans who came back from Berlin bearing a big bag of chocolates. And I mean a really big bag of chocolate slabs: all of which were differently flavoured. I’m a bad girl indeed I am. Since I’d already had a headstart, I didn’t see why I couldn’t use that slab of fine dark chocolate I’d been saving since a month ago. I’d hid it in the back of my pantry cupboard. As if that would’ve stopped me…really.

Before I carry on, an apology to Kate who once again missed out on a sweet treat! Babe, I’m sorry - just really felt like muffins. Pancakes + muffins in a row - dang! I’ll make it up to you, promise. AND I’ll buy you a whole big jar of Skippy’s Peanut Butter (if I can find it I promise, Selfridges maybe). So anyhow, who isn’t a fan of peanut butter? Well if you’re not, this is still pretty good as I only used a tiny bit to colour and flavour the muffin. It’s really all about that wonderful dark sticky chocolate, you know it is. This muffin turned out really well actually. Definitely could’ve been a lot more moist if I had some dark brown sugar around and about. Flavour wise it was pretty good - deep, dark, not too sweet, not too heavy which means loads of room left in my tummy for popcorn after this!!! (Indeed, I’m going for a saturday night film because I intend to relax after this essay. My day of relaxation has also been sanctioned by the Pops :p). Presenting to you my humble creation, Peanut Butter Marbled Muffins with Muesli & Drippy Dark Chocolate Topping.

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
2 tbs (or slightly more) crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup plain flour, sifted
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
about 1/4 cup milk
muesli for topping
dark chocolate, melted over a bain marie & set aside to cool

Preheat the oven to 175d Celsius.
Beat peanut butter, butter and sugar together till smooth and creamy. Add the whipped egg, vanilla and cinnamon. Then add the sifted flour and baking soda, mixing carefully. The mixture now will start to get a little stubborn so add milk until it reaches the right consistency. I used nearly 1/4 cup of milk. By now, you should have lined your muffin tray with pretty paper cups.
So divide the batter into the cups. Drip your melted chocolate onto each muffin and use a toothpick or chopstick to swish the chocolate about into the batter to form the marble-effect. Sprinkle your favourite muesli on top.
Now, whack it in the oven for 25-30min. Once it’s done (you’ll know this by inserting a toothpick into the middle of a cupcake, if it comes out clean, there you go!), take it out of the oven and leave in the muffin tray to cool for 2min. Remove to cool completely then get the rest of your melted chocolate and drizzle over these muffins.

Get messy. That’s how you have chocolate. Honest to God.