1. Pre-heat oven to 200°C.
2. Sift dry ingredients together into a bowl, then mix in cheese.
3. Combine milk, melted butter and egg yolks.
4. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form when you lift the whisk.
5. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing lightly together. Lastly fold in beaten egg white.
6. Spoon into 12 well-greased or paper-lined muffin tins. Bake for 15–20 minutes until risen and golden brown.

NOTES:

For variation, sometimes I add lots of chopped fresh herbs – parsley, chives, oregano – whatever I have, or add a good sprinkle of piri piri seasoning which will clear everyone’s sinuses at morning coffee. For a gentler spice, try 1 tsp of Moroccan seasoning.

This savoury mixture also marries well with chopped sun-dried tomato, or add a few chopped Kalamata olives to the mix and then press a small cube of feta cheese into the centre of each muffin just before you cook them.

Also, muffins do not necessarily have to be baked in muffin tins – try using small flower pots which have been washed, well dried and seasoned in an oven for 30 minutes at 150°C. Put a small piece of aluminium foil or non-stick paper on the base of each pot to cover the hole. Alternatively, put the mix into a lined, shallow 23 cm cake tin. Mark into wedges before cooking, and your guests can then slice themselves a piece. Presenting ‘normal’ food differently is a very subtle way of telling your guests you have made it yourself!

Images from The Great New Zealand Baking Book copyright © Lottie Hedley