Lekker Brekker Monday: Cheese and ham muffins

These muffins would have been less than themselves had I not decided to add a few more ingredients as well as the obvious base of grated cheese and diced ham.

First of all, the ham needed to be of a reasonable quality; so I used a pleasant Gypsy ham rather than the plasticky processed meat that dominates the store shelves.

For cheese, I had just received a parcel of cheeses from Dalewood Fromage in Simondium. Included in it was a bag of their everyday cheese; in fact, it is their Huguenot, already grated. So that was an easy inclusion. But you can substitute an ordinary Cheddar or similar.

Whenever I make a cheese or ham sandwich (or a cheese and ham sandwich), I always use some mustard. So in went a tablespoon of Maille wholegrain mustard. And a sprinkling of cayenne pepper (or paprika) on the cheese before it is melted is de rigueur for me, so that went in too.

I had some spring onions in the crisper, and they would bring in a nice bit of green and some crunch.

Egg and milk bring it all together, as does a cupful of self-raising flour. There’s baking powder too, and of course salt and black pepper. And that’s all, folks.

Tony’s cheese and ham muffins

(Makes 6 large muffins)

Ingredients

1 jumbo egg, beaten

½ cup full-cream milk

2 cups Dalewood Fromage Huguenot cheese, grated (or Cheddar)

6 slices Gypsy ham, chopped

4 spring onions, chopped

1 Tbsp wholegrain mustard

1 cup self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

A pinch of salt

½ tsp cayenne pepper

A few grindings of black pepper

Method

Whisk the egg and milk together.

Stir in the grated cheese, diced ham, spring onion and mustard, followed by the flour and baking powder. Mix well.

Spoon into greased muffin pans. Bake at 190°C for 20 to 25 minutes.

Allow to stand in the muffin pan for 10 minutes. DM

Tony Jackman is twice winner of the Galliova Food Writer of the year award, in 2021 and 2023

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