Grandma’s Cheese Muffins

My dear grandmother was a very kind and loving woman.  Like many women of her generation, she was mistress of her kitchen and had sole responsibility for ensuring everyone was fed.  She produced simple yet hearty meals – specialising in the meat and three vegetable fare popular in New Zealand at the time – and her roasts were second to none.  Here is her cheese muffin recipe – straight from her very own handwritten recipe book!  It is very basic but they are delicious warm from the oven with lashings of butter and were a staple accompaniment to soup when I was growing up.  At the end of the basic recipe below I have set out some modern variations.

Basic Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C
2. In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients (flour, cheddar, baking powder and salt and pepper).
   
3. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and milk together.
4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix the two together with a wooden spoon until just combined.
5. Grease a 12 hole muffin tray generously with a butter paper (or a piece of foil or baking paper with plenty of butter on it).
   
6. Spoon the mixture into the muffin holes so that it comes to just below the top.
   
7. Cook for 10-12 minutes until golden brown on top.
   

Variations

Cheese and Herb:  Add 3 Tablespoons of one or a mixture of finely chopped soft herbs (e.g. chives, parsley, basil, dill, thyme leaves).

Blue Cheese:  add some crumbled blue cheese with the cheddar.

Feta and Red Onion:  Finely chop half a red onion and soften in a small pan with a little butter for 3-5 minutes.  Add the onion and 1/3 Cup crumbled feta to the basic mixture.

Mediterranean:  Add 1/3 Cup chopped olives and 3 Tablespoons of finely chopped sundried tomatoes to the mix.

Spicy Cheese:  Add 1/2 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper to the dry ingredients and sprinkle extra cheese over the top of each hole before putting the tray into the oven.