Nigella...you are my Domestic Goddess

Oh my GOODNESS!! So, as we all know I spend a bit too much time baking and a bit too much time eating baked goods and, well this past week has been no exception!


This weekend David and I celebrated his sister's birthday...and a birthday isn't a birthday without......you guessed it....CAKES! I have taken to making cakes for friend's birthdays because (being frugal) 9 times out of 10 it is cheaper than buying a gift, and I absolutely LOVE to bake- it gives me an excuse to try new recipes, or tweak old ones. AND, as I have discovered, if I steer away from one big CAKE and instead make muffins or cupcakes (no fairy cakes for this girl...far too small) you can have some to test yourself, give some away, and still have some left over for late night TV sessions!

I don't know what was wrong with me this Friday, but my baker's brain was on a sugar high or something. Actually I was probably so excited to try this fantastic Nigella Lawson recipe that I got all flustered and couldn't control myself! This excitement turned into a BAKING DISASTER! It wasn't until the lovely muffins were baked and cooled and ready for the eating that I discovered that instead of Baking POWDER I had mistakenly used Baking Soda.....ick, gak, puke!
***Another reason to make individual cakes: save yourself the embarrassment of giving loved ones disgusting treats:( ****

Anyway, round two was much more successful!

I copied this recipe out of Nigella Lawson's How to be a Domestic Goddess, a few months ago and have been dieing to try it. Heather's birthday was the perfect excuse. PEANUT BUTTER AND SNICKERS MUFFINS! I mean, how could it fail? (other than the aforementioned disaster of course). Nigella uses crunchy peanut butter and chopped up snickers bars to create salty, sweet and chewy muffins. I would go so far as to call this a cupcake, but she prefers muffins. I skimped on the peanut butter, buying a value brand, and I wouldn't do that again. It wasn't that it was sweeter (as most budget brands are) it just had less peanut bits...making it more smooth PB with a bit of crunch, meaning that all the crunch in the muffins came from the peanuts from the Snickers. Let me tell you, these muffins need a glass of milk, they have the stick to the roof of your mouth quality of a peanut butter sandwich! They remind me of the amazing PB cookies my mum used to make when I lived at home. YUM YUM YUM!


So Nigella, not that there was any doubt in my mind, but you are OFFICIALLY my domestic goddess!