Fennel, cheese and bacon muffins

Jan Bilton

Savoury muffins are great accompaniments for soups and salads or for mid-afternoon snacks.

Ingredients

4 medium	Bacon rashers, about 100g, rindless, chopped (Main)
2 cups	Plain flour
3 tsp	Baking powder
½ tsp	Fennel seeds (Main)
½ tsp	Salt
1 Tbsp	Sugar
1 ¼ cups	Tasty cheese, grated (Main)
3 Tbsp	Fennel fronds, finely chopped (Main)
1 large	Egg, lightly beaten
1 cup	Milk
⅓ cup	Canola oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Lightly grease 8 x ½-cup muffin holes.
2. Pan-fry the bacon until cooked. Cool.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder, fennel seeds, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Add 1 cup of the cheese, the bacon and fennel fronds and mix well.
4. Combine the egg, milk and oil in another bowl. Pour into the centre of the flour mixture and mix until just moistened.
5. Spoon into the prepared muffin holes until almost full. Bake for 20 minutes. Can be topped with small fennel sprigs.

More of Jan's savoury muffin makeovers

• Gluten-free spinach and smoked cheese muffins
• Green curried apple muffins