If you’ve ever perused my blog (probably during your mid-afternoon slump at your desk, guiltily hoovering sub-par work biscuits whilst pretending to be engrossed in work – I’m not judging, we’ve all been there), you will know that I am a bit of a savoury muffin aficionado. I find they are in some ways the perfect bake – they’re pretty much foolproof, you can get creative with flavours by using bits and bobs lurking in your fridge, and the house smells sold-above-asking-price divine for the rest of the day. What’s not to like?*

Salty cheese, sticky sweet onions and the crunch of a walnut, these bad boys, my boyfriend claims, are the finest yet – bold flavours, contrasting textures and at least one of your five-a-day…

So next time you need a pick-me-up at work, swap the biscuits for a homemade savoury muffin – you’ll feel all the better for it!

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

– 85g caramelised onions
– 85g unsalted butter (plus extra for frying)
– 300g plain flour, sifted
– 1 tablespoon baking powder
– 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
– seasoning
– 2 large eggs (free range please)
– 250ml milk
– 160g Stilton, crumbled (you could use another hard blue cheese if preferred)
– 25g walnuts, roughly chopped

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190°C and pop your muffin cases into the tin. Tip: If you don’t have a muffin tin, you could make cupcake sized treats instead but I think there is something satisfyingly chunky about a muffin – it looks like it means business.

In a small pan on a low-medium heat, melt the butter and set aside to cool.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, a generous pinch of salt and a good few grinds of black pepper in a bowl.

Beat the eggs and milk together in a jug. Add to the dry mixture, a little at a time, whilst mixing all the ingredients together (I use the paddle attachment on my food mixer on a low setting).

Add the melted butter and mix until smooth (I increase the speed of my mixer here), scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure nothing escapes. Stir in the caramelised onions, 2/3 of the cheese, and the walnuts.

Spoon into the muffin cases and scatter the remaining cheese on top. Tip: Only fill your cases to about 2/3 full as the raising agents really get these muffins rising! Bake for 25-30 minutes until the muffins are set and golden brown on top.

Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.

Source: Recipe and photos by pip & little blue.