Bacon and Cheese Muffins

Bacon and Cheese Muffins with a dash of Soy Sauce

Some people ask how I come up with ideas for recipes. This is how I came up with this recipe for Bacon and Cheese muffins. I was idly flicking through a cookbook which of course has the starters at the front. I saw a recipe for something with cheese. Mmm, I like cheese. I don't know what cheese it was for but nevermind. Keep flicking and in the main courses there's a recipe with bacon in it. I like bacon too. I prefer it to be smoked bacon for the flavour. The recipe was for chicken breasts with bacon wrapped round it. Not really interested in that. I move on and I get to the cakes and sweet bakes. Ooh, chocolate muffins. I might make something with chocolate in later and then it hits me – cheese, bacon, muffins. All three of them could go well together. So there you go recipe idea.

Muffins, like in my cookbook, are usually of the sweet variety so you need something to replace the sugar in the basic mix. I added some mustard powder but also some Kikkoman Soy Sauce, which they kindly sent to me. Both the bacon and cheese are quite strong flavoured and salty so to help cut through that I used the Kikkoman Less Salt Soy Sauce.

To get the taste of both the cheese and bacon you do need to use some strong, mature cheddar and also some smoked bacon. Anything milder and the flavours won't be there. You can serve these cold like a sweet muffin or just let them cool slightly before serving warm. If you let them cool they would be a tasty addition to a picnic or an interesting alternative in your lunchbox.

Makes 12

Equipment: 12 cup muffin tin lined with paper cases

Ingredients

4 Rashers smoked streaky bacon

8oz (225g) Self-raising flour

2oz (55g) Plain flour

1 tsp (5ml) Baking powder

½ tsp (2.5ml) Bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp (2.5ml) Mustard powder

6 tbsp (90ml) Sunflower oil

7fl oz (200ml) Milk

1 Large egg

1 tbsp (15ml) Kikkoman Low Salt Soy Sauce

4oz (110g) Mature cheddar cheese, grated

Method

1. Line the muffin tin with the paper cases.

2. Grill the bacon until cooked and crispy. Leave to cool then cut into small pieces.

3. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/Gas mark 6.

4. In a large bowl mix together the flours, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and, mustard powder.

5. In a separate bowl beat together the oil, milk, egg, Soy sauce, cheese and bacon.

6. Mix the two sets of ingredients together until just combined.

7. Cook for 20-25 minutes.

8. Leave to cool on a wire. Can be eaten warm or cold.

Kikkoman sent me sample of their sauces to try for free. No payment was made for this post.