Cheese and Sweetcorn Muffins

Savoury muffins packed with grated cheddar, sweetcorn and chives, mixed by hand in minutes and baked until golden. Best served warm with butter.

BakeSouth African

You will need 12-hole muffin tin · large mixing bowl · sieve · measuring jug · whisk · spatula · skewer

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Brush all 12 holes of a muffin tin generously with sunflower oil, getting into the corners.
Sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
In a jug, whisk the eggs, milk and 80 ml sunflower oil together until smooth.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and add the grated cheddar, sweetcorn and chives. Fold gently with a spatula only until no dry flour shows; a lumpy batter is exactly right.
Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin holes. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until risen and golden and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out free of raw batter.
Let the muffins rest in the tin for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and lift them out. Serve warm with butter.

Drain the sweetcorn in a sieve and pat it dry with kitchen paper so the muffins do not turn soggy.
A mature cheddar gives the strongest flavour, and a pinch of paprika in the dry mix adds a gentle warmth.
Keep cooled muffins in an airtight container for up to two days and warm them for 10 seconds in the microwave before serving.
Freeze the muffins in a sealed bag for up to two months and thaw at room temperature.