cheese & sweetcorn muffins

These savoury muffins, packed with walnuts, cheese and sweetcorn, make a delicious breakfast snack and are a great accompaniment to soups. You can replace the walnuts with other nuts if you prefer and add different ingredients, such as cooked, diced bacon pieces or sun-dried tomatoes.

• 150 g gluten-free self-raising flour plus 1 teaspoon baking powder OR 1⅓ cups gluten-free all-purpose baking flour plus 2¼ teaspoons baking powder and ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
• 200 g/2 cups shelled walnuts, ground
• 165 g/⅔ cup canned sweetcorn
• 200 g/2 cups grated Cheddar
• 150 ml/⅔ cup milk
• 4 rounded tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream
• 100 g/7 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 generous teaspoon wholegrain mustard
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

a 12-hole muffin tin/pan, lined with paper cases

Makes 10–12 muffins

Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F) Gas 4.

Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda/baking soda into a mixing bowl, add the ground walnuts and mix well. Drain the sweetcorn and stir in to the mixture, along with 150 g/1½ cups of the cheese.

Put the milk, crème fraîche, melted butter, eggs, mustard and sugar in a separate bowl. Season with salt and pepper and whisk together. Pour the milk mixture into the bowl containing the dry ingredients and fold in with a large spoon. The batter should be thick and slightly lumpy. Divide the batter between the paper cases. Bake in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch. Five minutes before the end of cooking, remove the muffins from the oven, sprinkle over the remaining cheese and return to the oven. Serve warm or cold.

These muffins are best eaten on the day they are made.