MUCH ADO MUFFINS PART VI: THAT'S A SPICY MUFFIN

First up thanks to those Italian Foodies for allowing me to ply their customers with sugar! I just love that all this blogging has resulted in something so tangible. I've been on a high all day, floating merrily around with a slight feeling of disbelief. I was hoping when I got started that I would at least be able to ramble on about whatever I chose without boring everyone to death, to actually get to know other foodies is a huge bonus. So before I break into my Oscar speech and the tears start flowing I'll get on with some baking to bring me back down to earth.

This is a Limerick/Mexico inspired batch of muffins. Unlikely meeting of cultures it's true but it works nonetheless. The Mexican part is a spicy, salsa flavoured cheddar, the Limerick part is that this cheese seems to have become an integral part of any trip to the Milk Market on a Saturday morning. Available from Marie's cheese shop it has a slightly smoky, peppery flavour, with a good kick of chili that has earned it many fans including Maz at Style Treaty. It was Maz's singing of it's praises that gave me the idea for these muffins. I first thought of just using the Welsh Rarebit Muffin recipe but I've been trying to reduce a three foot high stack of foodie magazines to a three inch pile of torn out pages so when I came across a recipe in the very first issue of Delicious Magazine using polenta as well as flour I felt that it would suit better. Though polenta is an Italian staple I hoped tenuous links to the maize used in Mexican cooking would be enough keep my theme going.

With a slab of spicy cheddar in hand, and some sun-dried tomatoes that were in front of me while I was queuing, I did a quick run to the health food shop (Eats of Eden in this case) where I found the polenta lurking on a shelf masquerading as "coarse maizemeal". Everything else was a store cupboard or fridge basic so I tucked my purchases away until today when I had a chance to see if this was going to work.

Jug of wet ingredients into bowl of dry ingredients, plop resulting batter into muffin tins, and into the oven. A short time later with only minor burns on my fingers I'm happy with my edible guinea-pig. The result is dense, craggy and the spicy cheese has been mellowed in the oven to a warmth that takes a few seconds to hit. The sun-dried tomatoes found their way in there but tinned sweetcorn would also work. If you need more heat try adding some chili and a dash of tabasco. If you'll excuse me now I need to, um, give myself a second opinion on my experiment.

P.S. Since posting this I have discovered a blogging event (these things are bloody addictive!) called Muffin Monday hosted by Elena at Experiments so Maz might have famous muffins!

MAZ MUFFINS/MEXICAN SPICED CHEDDAR AND POLENTA MUFFINS WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

• 250g plain flour
• 125g polenta (coarse maizemeal)
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 100g sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (you could also use 100g tinned sweetcorn, drained)
• 150g Mexican spiced cheddar, grated
• 2 medium free range eggs
• 200ml milk
• 65ml sunflower/vegetable oil
• pinch of dried chili flakes/a little chopped fresh chili (optional)
• dash of Tabasco sauce (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases or squares of greaseproof paper. In a mixing bowl combine all the dry ingredients well. Make a well in the centre.
2. Mix together the chopped sun-dried tomatoes  grated cheese and all the wet ingredients in a large jug (chili and Tabasco too if using,) don't overbeat just incorporate them. Pour the wet ingredients into the well, mixing quickly but lightly to make a lumpy batter. If the mixture doesn't drop easily off the spoon add a little more milk. Do not over-mix! Divide the batter between the paper cases and bake in the middle shelf of the oven for about 20 minutes until well risen and golden. Serve warm.

Makes 12 muffins.

Comments

[Caroline@Bibliocook]

Congratulations on your new venture Laura! Hope all goes well for you.

[Laura]

Thanks Caroline,
Hope the house move has gone as smoothly as possible!

[Freya]

Yum! I love savoury muffins! These look so good!

[Brilynn]

Sounds like a great combo, I wish we got Delicious magazine here.

[gilly]

Hi Laura - I agree with Bri, wish we had that here!

[Lisa]

The new muffin experiment sounds mucho yummy! (See? Just tryin to keep the Mexican theme going, si?)

I'm happy to hear the business is taking off so well.. congrats! =)

[Laura]

Gracias Lisa! And thanks to all DB visitors for lovely comments. You know how to make a girl feel welcome!

[Lorraine]

Hi all. Just to let you know that Laura's goodies flew out the door!! may I ask what db is??

[Tanna]

I love the savory!!! Hooray! and I'm always looking for ways to use the polenta! Great photo.

[Val]

Welly, welly I also want to know what DB's is/are....These muffins look amazing. Perfect for our new Irish picnic weather too!

[Elena]

These fit in perfectly for Muffin Monday (MM02)!! Thank you for your contribution!