Super tasty muffins studded with chorizo and red pepper with a lovely chilli warmth. These Chorizo, Red Pepper & Cheese Muffins are very moreish. 

I love a savoury muffin. For some reason savoury baking seems less naughty than sweet baking to me. I know this clearly is all in my head, but I think it is because the ingredients are more widely used so they’re seen as less of treat than things like chocolate. 

My parent’s have a villa in Fuerteventura and I am very lucky that they bring me back some delicious Spanish meats and spices. Chorizo is a firm favourite that they bring back and can be used in so many dishes. When cooking, I use the rings of  dry cured chorizo which you just peel before using. They can be eaten as they are, or cooked – make sure you check it is the dry cured type and not the uncooked sausages if you want to eat without cooking! These rings are readily available in all supermarkets and you can usually get a normal one and a spicy one; so use whichever you prefer. 

I am a little bit obsessed with chile at the moment and thought it would bring out the flavours in the chorizo. I love the warmth it can bring to a recipe without having to blow your head off. If you aren’t the biggest fan of chile, you can either leave it out completely, or add a pinch. I chose ancho chile because it is a mildly spiced chile compared to others so should be suitable for most people. Having said that, if you do like your food a little spicy, feel free to add more! If you can’t find ancho chile, you can just use the chile powders that you can buy in any supermarket. 

It may be tempting to eat these as soon as they have cooled enough for you to eat them, but I personally prefer them when they have cooled completely. Once they have cooled, I think you can taste the flavours better than when they are still warm. I really like how the oils from the chorizo stain the muffins making them a lovely colour. 

These muffins are really quick and easy to make and one of my favourite things about making them is you do not need to use a mixer. I do love my mixer and it makes baking so many things far easier, but sometimes you just want to bake something with minimum effort and washing up. These muffins are definitely one of those bakes! The less effort you put into mixing them, the lighter and fluffier your muffins will turn out. If you were to use a mixer you would definitely run the risk of over mixing them which could make them tough. 

These really can only be kept for 2 – 3 days to eat them at their best. After this they do become a little drier. I’ve found that freezing them once they have cooled completely is a great way of keeping them fresh for longer. I just take them out of the freezer the night before I want them and they are defrosted and ready to eat the next morning.

Makes 12 muffins

100g chorizo, diced
100g red pepper, diced
175g plain flour
¼ tsp mustard powder
¼ tsp ancho chile powder 
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp caster sugar
½ tsp salt
pinch of pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
150g cheddar cheese, grated
80ml semi-skimmed milk
60ml sunflower or vegetable oil
1 egg

1. Add the diced chorizo and red pepper to a pan over a medium heat and cook for around 10 minutes until the pepper has softened. Stir every so often to stop the chorizo getting too brown

2. Preheat the oven to 180ºC  and line a muffin tin with 12 cases 
3. Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, mustard powder, cayenne pepper, chilli powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. Stir in 120g of the grated cheese
4. In another bowl, beat the egg, milk and oil 
5. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients along with the peppers and chorizo. Only mix until everything is just combined – don’t overwork it 

6. Divide the mix between the muffin cases and scatter each with the remaining 30g of cheese

7. Bake in the oven for 18 minutes 
8. Allow to cool slightly in the tin before allowing to cool completely on a wire rack 

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