Savoury muffins...

Together with Jarek, we are not a special fans of sweets... We've never been, even as children. Maybe that's why I haven't learnt how to bake cakes. In our house rarely host sweets, candies and cookies, only if someone give it to us as gift. We're quite happy to swap a candy for a delicious sandwich with a favourite cheese and tomato ...

Although I have to admit that sometimes it happens to us that we suffer from peculiar craving for chocolate, and then we take a quick walk to a nearby store, where the chocolate is eaten at lightning speed - sometimes even before we pay for it so with a big smile on a face we show the cashier an empty chocolate box : )

Usually, when we visit our friends, on the table next to tea and coffee always appear some biscuits, chocolates or other sweets. In turn, with other friends who have children, we always wonder why the kids scour the kitchen cabinets so intensively - they definitely know what their mums are hiding there :)

Recently while sorting out my culinary magazines and random pieces of paper with recipes from my friends, I found this great recipe for muffins. But these are unusual muffins, because they are not sweet but slightly spicy and savoury... Absolutely great idea for us, I thought....

Ham, cheese and chive muffins

'Feel Good Food' Magazine

Ingredients for 6 muffins:

225g plain white flour

1tbsp baking powder

1tbsp chicken stock granules

1/4tsp cracked black pepper

75g Gruyere or Emmental cheese, cut into cubes

small handful fresh chives, finely chopped

2 large eggs

150ml milk

50ml 'Extra Virgin' olive oil

75g smoked ham, chopped into tiny cubes

Moreover: 6-hole muffin tray, oiled or 6 double-thickness paper cases 

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl, reserving a little of the cheese and chives, then cover and chill in the fridge. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil and 1 tablespoon of cold water, then cover and place in the fridge to chill.

An hour before serving, heat the oven to 200 degrees, 180 degrees with fan. Stir the wet ingredients, including ham, into the dry ingredients to form a moist, lumpy batter, ensuring that there is no pockets of unmixed flour. Spoon the mixture into the muffin tray, scattering with the reserved cheese and chives. Bake for 30 minutes or until the muffins are browned, crusty and fragrant. Serve warm with extra butter for spreading, if liked.

We liked it, would you?