- 12
- 15 mins
- 35 mins
Ingredients
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda / bi-carb soda (Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 egg, lightly whisked
- 3/4 cups + 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp white vinegar (or lemon juice)
- 3 tbsp sour cream (or plain yoghurt)
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil (or any plain oils, not olive oil)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (or 2 tbsp dried)
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese (Note 1)
- 3 oz/90g salted butter (about 4/5 of a stick)
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 12 slices of mozzarella or Monteray Jack cheese, 3cm/2.5" squares (~3mm / 1/8" thick) (Note 1)
Preparation
Step 1
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180C/350F (fan forced) / 200C/390F (not fan forced oven). Spray a 12 hole standard muffin tin.
Place butter and garlic in a microwave proof bowl and melt in 30 second bursts. Keep warm (just leave in microwave).
Sift together Dry Ingredients in a bowl. Make a well in the centre, add Wet Ingredients except grated cheese. Mix until just combined (it should be a lumpy thick batter), then stir through cheese.
Dollop a heaped tablespoon (or about ½ ice cream scooper which is what I use) into each hole. Top with a slice of cheese and drizzle each with 1 tsp garlic butter. Divide remaining batter between muffins (about ¾ ice cream scoop / 2 level tablespoons), then drizzle over remaining garlic butter (about ½ tsp each).
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until the muffins are golden on top and spring back when touched in the centre. (Note 2)
Best served warm so the cheese in the middle is gooey! But also divine at room temperature.
I typically use grated Cheddar, tasty or Monterey Jack cheese to mix through the batter, then Mozzarella or Monterey Jack slices for the gooey filling. Monterey Jack stretches and oozes very nicely like Mozzarella.
2. This muffin has more ingredients than really basic ones, calling for both baking powder & baking soda, plus the sour ingredients (lemon + sour cream) to activate the baking soda. The reason is because the cheese and butter makes this muffin a bit denser than ordinary muffins, so I use baking soda for extra lift (because baking soda is 2-3 times stronger than baking powder).
You can substitute the baking soda with 2 tsp of baking powder but the muffin won't be quite as light and fluffy - but it will still rise, don't worry!
3. The skewer test might be misleading for these muffins because of the gooey cheese inside. So use the touch-spring back test. :)
4. These stay fresh for 2 days in an airtight container. But if you reheat them, they they are good for 3 - 4 days (because warming them up makes them super moist again!). These can also be frozen for 2 - 3 months.
5. As always for baking recipes, I have made these using Australian cups (imperial measurements used by the most of the world, including Europe, NZ) as well as US cups. I actually made these while I was in LA at a friend's house and they came out just as they do when I made them at home!