Quickes Smoked Cheddar Savoury Muffins Recipe

Using Quickes Smoked Cheddar from Devon in the UK these muffins make a delicious brunch or afternoon tea. We think the secret is taking your time to caramelise the onions. And of course, we recommend eating Smoked Cheddar muffins fresh from the oven with lots of butter.

This is not the time to delve into the internet furore over exactly how long it takes to caramelise your onions (check out the fun here). BUT it is an important step. The long slow cooking transforms onion’s sulfurous pungency to a mellow, sweetness that really elevates these muffins.

Makes 8 muffins          Prep time: 12 mins       Cook time: 18 mins      Eating time: 1 min     

Ingredients

Dry mix

• 300 gm plain flour, sifted
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• Pinch salt
• Pepper freshly ground

 Wet mix

• 3 free range eggs, lightly whisked
• 260gm full cream milk
• 150 gm Quickes Smoked Cheddar, grated (keeping 25gm in reserve for the top)
• 50 gm caramelised onion (1 medium-sized brown onion weighing 150gm-ish)
• 5 gm fresh thyme, chopped

 

Method

1. Preheat the oven at 180C before getting started on that onion.
2. Peel 1 medium size brown onion and slice it laterally in rings approx. ½ cm wide.
3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, then add the onion and sauté on medium heat for 5 mins until wilted, stirring occasionally so they don’t stick. Keep cooking until they have turned a golden brown about 15mins.
4. Line muffin tray with paper cases or baking paper squares (see Tips below).
5. Mix the dry ingredients together in one bowl.
6. Combine wet ingredients together in a second bowl (keeping reserved 25gm aside).
7. Gently fold the wet mix into the dry and fold together. Don’t overwork the dough which would result in tough muffins. Nobody likes a tough muffin.
8. Split the mixture evenly between the pre-prepared muffin tin and sprinkle reserved Quickes Smoked Cheddar atop each muffin.
9. Cook for 18 mins or until golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
10. Let cool slightly before removing it from the muffin tray. Serve warm with lashings of butter.

Tips

• Substituting finely sliced spring onions would work if you’re short on time BUT we do recommend slow cooking overnight a bulk batch of onions PLUS then you’re halfway towards French Onion Soup.
• Chilling your onion for half an hour will help prevent you tearing up when slicing.
• Don’t have thyme? Try oregano, parsley or even finely chopped rosemary tips.
• Don’t have paper muffin cases? 14cm x 14cm square of baking paper gets the job done.
• Smoked Cheddar Scones are best served warm with lots of cultured butter.

 

A little about the Quickes Oak Smoked Cheddar

Quickes Oak Smoked Cheddar is hand made to a traditional recipe by Mary Quicke and her team at Home Farm in Devon. This cheddar is hand made on the farm in the rolling green hills of the West Country of England and, after grading, is carefully matured under cloth for around 12 months.
The smoke is incorporated into Quickes Oak Smoked Cheddar by cold smoking the cut wheels of cheese over oak chips – using oak trees from the Home Farm Estate. The result is a classic Cheddar with a firm, open and moist texture, and a subtle smoky, buttery flavour.

Download printable recipe here