SAVOURY MUFFINS WITH VARIATIONS
- Butter and cheese:
- 3 tablespoons (50 g) salted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 cups (200 g) grated cheddar cheese
- Dry ingredients:
- 2 cups (300 g) plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda or bicarbonate of soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Wet ingredients:
- 1 egg (large, about 60 g), lightly whisked
- 1 cup milk (full or low fat)
- ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream (or plain yoghurt)
- 85 ml vegetable oil (or any plain oils, not olive oil)
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF) (standard) or 160ºC/320ºF (fan).
Place the butter and garlic in a microwave proof bowl and melt in 30 second bursts, mix well.
Brush a 12 hole standard muffin tin generously with butter, being sure to slather with some garlic.
Reserve some butter to brush tops.
Whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a seperate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl. Mix 8 times.
Add the cheese, mix as few times as possible just to incorporate remaining bits of flour – no more than 7 big stirs (secret to soft muffins).
Divide between 11 holes in muffin in (I used an ice cream scooper).
Batter should be thick and fill muffin tin to top (if in ball shape due to scooper, leave as is).
Bake for 22 – 25 minutes or until the muffins are golden and crusty and spring back when touched in the centre.
Remove onto cooling rack, brush with remaining butter (microwave again if needed) and cool slightly before getting stuck into them!
Variations: Add In options:
Up to 1 ½ cups of stir-ins of choice, add with cheese.
Sun dried tomatoes, chopped or large chunks of feta, chopped olives, ham, cooked bacon, grated zucchini (salt, leave for 20 minutes then squeeze out excess water), grated carrot, chopped spinach, bell peppers/capsicums (cooked).
Cooked mushroom slices, cooked chorizo, even chopped chicken.
Let your imagination run wild!
Makes 12 high dome muffins, or 13 – 14 sensible muffins.
Photo and recipe: Wanda le Gassick