I had decided not to mention how baking these bacon and cheese muffins could make life a lot easier at the weekends.
However, as we all know, Saturdays and Sundays usually fly by before we know it and, of course, we have got lots of things that we need to do at the weekends.
Leisurely is the best way to describe my Saturday mornings, and I mean leisurely in its loosest terms. It means that I can leave the house at 9.15am instead of 8.45am, therefore, leaving plenty of time to relax over a family breakfast. Well, that’s the theory anyway!
However, with these quick and easy muffins, you can have all of the batter mixed up in the fridge and ready to go. If the kids are old enough, they can even pop them in the oven and make you breakfast in bed. They will knock the spots off toast or cereal.
Muffins don’t have to be sweet, heavy and sugary. When made well, they can be tasty, light and, best of all, a skoosh to make.
What’s more, you can whip up a batch of these in half an hour and have a perfect home-made offering not just for breakfast, but for lunchboxes and snacks as well.
Savoury muffins are also a great way of using up the vegetables in the fridge. If you have an abundance of courgettes, carrots, beetroot or spinach that are about to expire, then why not whip them into a batch of muffins?
I’m not saying this because it’s a good way to ensure you are getting your five a day, although it is, but because grated or pureed vegetables are delicious and they help to keep a savoury muffin moist, light and, well, savoury.
In this recipe, good quality Ayrshire bacon, or, at least, dry cure Scottish, and a tangy Scottish cheddar, will make all the difference.
Savoury breakfast muffins
- 200g of wholewheat flour
- 100g of supreme sponge flour (plain flour will also work if you cannot find this one)
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder
- Half a teaspoon of baking soda
- Half a teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
- A quarter of a teaspoon of salt
- 2 eggs
- 100ml of buttermilk or natural yoghurt (optional)
- 3 tablespoons of summer harvest rapeseed oil
- 2 tablespoons of melted butter
- Half a bunch of thinly sliced sping onions
- 4 slices of diced Ayrshire bacon
- 50g of grated Scottish cheddar cheese
- 1 finely diced red pepper
1 Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade (gas mark 5)
2 Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray/oil or line with muffin papers
3 Mix the wholewheat flour, sponge flour, baking powder, baking soda, pepper and salt in a large bowl
4 Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, oil and butter in a medium bowl
5 Fold in the spring onions, bacon, cheese and red pepper
6 Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients to the bowl
7 Mix with a spatula until just moistened
8 Scoop the batter into the prepared pan
9 Bake the muffins for 20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown
10 Cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then turn the muffins out and cool them on a wire rack.
11 Serve and enjoy.
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