Pear, blue cheese and walnut muffins
Pear, blue cheese and walnut muffins
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Ingredients
For the muffins:
- 250g self-raising flour
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 200g Stilton, Gorgonzola Piccante or Saint Agur
- 1 large firm pear, peeled and chopped into small pieces
- 100g walnut halves, roughly chopped
- 100g full-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 medium eggs
- 150ml whole milk
For the topping:
- 40g unsalted butter
- 60g plain flour
- 20g mature cheddar, grated
Step by step
Make up to a day ahead; store in an airtight container. The muffins can also be frozen.
Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. First make the topping. In a bowl, rub together the butter and plain flour until you have a crumbly consistency. Add the grated cheddar and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Mix until combined, then set aside while you make the muffin batter.
Line a 12-hole muffin tin with muffin cases. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder into a large bowl. Add a pinch of salt. Break the blue cheese into bite-sized pieces and scatter into the bowl, along with the chopped pear and walnut pieces. Stir to combine. In a jug, whisk together the yogurt, eggs and milk. Pour the mixture in the jug into the dry ingredients and fold in with a large metal spoon until just combined – but don't overwork it.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cases and sprinkle over
the topping. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until
well risen and golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.-
Tip
For light, airy muffins, be careful not to overmix the batter. Cool muffins on a wire rack, out of the tin, to stop the bottoms becoming soggy.
These are surprising little muffins – no one flavour is overpowering; there's just a harmonious blend of cheese, pear and walnuts. They're perfect for lunch with a salad, or, even better, with a spoonful of chutney. Use firm pears or your muffins will have soggy bottoms – and that’s never good!
