Many years ago when I was raising my family, I used to watch a television show on the PBS channel called Harrowsmith Country Life. I loved it. It was a lovely mix of all the things I embraced . . . country life, bird watching, care of nature, gardening, wholesome food and cookery. I used to watch it and wish that I could live that type of life. Out in the countryside, with my own big garden, living sustainably off the earth, close to nature, and all that. Mind you, when I was a really young women, still at school, I wanted to live in a commune, like a hippy. I think I had a romanticised notion of it all in my head that was a far distance from the reality.
What did I know about the world and life, not a lot really. Just what I read or saw on the television. Back in the 1990's I picked up this book at a second hand/cheap book shop in Meaford, Ontario. Based on the column in the Harrowsmith magazine entitled Pantry, it is filled with lots of lovely, healthy, mother-earth type wholesome recipes. I adapted the recipe that I am sharing today from it's pages.
They sounded really delicious . . . with plenty of cheese, honey mustard, and liquid honey. Tim Horton's used to make a cheddar cheese muffin that was really good. They has not been on offer in their cafes for a very long time, and I have spent years trying to replicate them. This comes close, but not quite there. If anything they are better.
I think that is because of the liberal use of honey mustard, which adds a lovely tang and a warm color to the mix. Back home I was addicted to Honey Cup Mustard, which is what I would use for these if I was there. Today I used Maille Honey Mustard, which is very close to that brand, with lots of lovely honey in it.
They do tend to get browned and could easily look burnt if you don't watch them . . . because of the honey and the cheese . . . just keep an eye on them.
The recipe calls for buttering the tins, no mention of using papers. I used papers and regretted it because they did stick to the papers. DON'T be tempted to use papers. Just DON'T!!
DO bake them however, because they are really lovely muffins, with a beautiful flavor and texture.
I just peeled the paper off as best as I could and we ate them anyways, and they were gorgeously flavoured. A bit sweet, a lot savoury . . . with some snap from the mustard. Cheese and mustard, what a lovely combination!
These would go well with soups or salads or scrambled eggs. They are a great muffin and I hope you will try them!!
*Cheddar & Honey Mustard Muffins*Makes 12Printable Recipe
This is a savoury muffin filled with the tang of honey mustard, some black pepper, sweet honey and the richness of a good cheddar. Delicious!
280g plain flour1 TBS baking powder1/4 tsp saltfreshly ground black pepper to taste120g grated strong cheddar cheese (1 cup sharp cheddar)(Grate your own)1 large free-range egg3 TBS honey Dijon mustard2 TBS liquid honey300ml milk (1 1/4 cup)65g butter, melted (1/4 cup)
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/gas mark 6. Butter a 12 cup muffin tin really well. Don't be tempted to use paper liners. These will stick to papers. Set aside.
Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Whisk in the salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the grated cheese. Whisk together the egg, mustard, honey, milk and melted butter. Add to the dry ingredients and fold in gently, but thoroughly. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes until risen and golden brown. Serve warm.
These would make a great muffin for a Ploughman's Lunch. With a bit of ham, some salad leaves, chutney . . . I don't think you could get much better than that! Bon Appetit!
