cheese muffin

Nagi Maehashi’s selected cheese muffins have golden, crusty domes and soft interiors, with the flavour of melted cheddar, garlic and butter. The recipe presents them as a savoury snack or a basket to serve alongside dinner.

Unsalted butter is melted with two crushed or finely grated garlic cloves. Most of this garlic butter generously coats the muffin-pan wells, while a little is reserved to brush the baked tops.

Plain flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt are whisked separately from the egg, milk, selected sour cream and olive oil, the further garlic clove and optional fresh parsley. The wet mixture is stirred into the dry ingredients before cheddar is folded in with as little further mixing as possible.

The thick batter fills eleven muffin wells to the top. Baking makes the muffins domed, golden and crusty, and the reserved garlic butter is brushed over their surfaces.

The muffins cool briefly in the pan and then on a rack before eating. Maehashi recommends serving them warm; the optional parsley adds little green flecks to the cheesy crumb.