* Mexican Cornbread Muffins {Meatless Mondays}

I absolutely LOVE cornbread, but Neil isn't usually a huge fan. Possibly because most of the time I use a medium grain polenta to make it, and he finds it a tad too gnarly. In which case I usually end up eating the whole lot - not in one sitting... but it's too close to call.

I managed to get hold of some fine polenta in Tesco's the other day, and seeing as I'm always trying to conquer my oven's urge to C-4 small cakes and muffins - I thought I'd have a go at making mini cornbreads... because I am determined to win this particular battle (with the oven) and selling Neil a Mexican Cornbread Muffin was going to be a damn sight easier than saying "I made cornbread". 

I was keeping my fingers crossed that he wouldn't connect the dots.

He didn't. Or maybe he did and decided to play along. He does that A LOT. It's part of his charm.

"Oooh look what my mum bought me!"

"Your mum bought you a new desktop for £600?"

"Ummm... yes?"

"With our debit card?"

"Ummmmmm...mmm... yessss???"

....... "That was nice of her."

What's not to love?!?!!!

He actually enjoyed the muffin that I let him taste test, warm from the oven. I taste tested two. One of them was eaten very quietly in the kitchen, away from all eyes but the dog's. Her eyes said "If you don't give me some of that I'm telling." 

So I shared.

* Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Muffins {Nigella Lawson}

The last time I tried to make anything resembling a chocolate muffin or cupcake, it all went volcanically wrong - I think it's because I use my fan oven for just about everything, and it's really not suited to baking smaller cakes, at all. It either dries them out or blows them up.

There is a chance that it's actually a non intelligent life form that is making attempts at nuclear fusion via cake batter.

Well I've finally used my noggin and removed it's funding (stopped using it for little cakes, ya follow?) and I used my conventional oven instead to cook these Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Muffins from a Nigella Lawson recipe.

It worked.

It worked so well that I got too excited to wait to photograph these babies and the chocolate-chips on the top were still a bit hot and shiny. I absolutely promise that I did not lick the top of every single muffin to create a shiny effect.

Though the temptation was certainly there.

* Butternut Squash Muffins

These are a favourite in our house. I've always got a butternut squash or three, lying around. It's incredibly more-ish fair in any guise, and makes a change from carrot in cakes and bakes.

I've tried various toppings, with varying degrees of success. Soured cream icing was nice in theory but in practice it was more like dipping sauce... of course, I still put it on top of the muffins, regardless of it's lack of sticking power.

I eventually settled on a simple lemon cream cheese frosting, that has a certain *nominess* when you sink your teeth in for the first bite.