As much as I love baking things like chocolate cake and sugary meringues, if I were forced to choose between sweet and savoury baking, savoury would win hands down. Now before you reach for the unfollow button, let me assure you that there will be plenty of sweet treats on this blog, eventually.
The thing about sweet bakes is that the joy for me is more in the actual baking than it is in the eating. Not because I count calories, but just because one sweet muffin or slice of cake will do me. I simply don’t have a sweet tooth. Now savoury baking is a whole different story. As I am typing, I am demolishing my third spinach, Peppadew and feta muffin (it’s a good thing you can wipe the screen of an Ipad), while telling myself that this morning’s workout should even it all out. Come to think of it, maybe I should stick to sugary treats…
These muffins are right up my street. The tang of the feta and the saltiness of the Parmesan take centre stage but the hint of spinach and peppers makes it all a bit more interesting. I have to disagree with the Guardian (where I got this recipe from) and say that these are not ‘muffins for kids’ but grown-up ones that would go down very well with a drink, as they are doing right now, in fact.
You can find the recipe for these muffins here: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/jul/29/cook-kids-savoury-muffins
I didn’t tweak it all that much. My block of Parmesan was only 145 grams and that turned out to be enough, so you can safely reduce the cheese a bit. I used Peppadews instead of regular roast peppers and next time I make these (and I certainly will), I will use a teaspoon of chilli powder instead of paprika.
One more thing, don’t worry if your muffin ‘batter’ is more like a dough. I thought it would be a baking disaster but they turned out splendidly. This batter made 12 slightly larger muffins instead of the 16 in the recipe, by the way.
The Vegetable Chopper 
I had to laugh…the idea of you holding a crumb covered Ipad screen was rather amusing. With muffins I have to say, I prefer the savoury over the sweet. I think the natural open, rustic structure of a muffin works well with savoury foods. This sounds delicious. In my case, it would be perfect for lunchboxes for the kids too.
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iPad rescued! I agree, muffins do lend themselves really well to savoury variations. I’m lucky enough to have a very short commute, so I don’t need a lunchbox but I know what I’m having for lunch today. 😉
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These really do look lovely! I must give them a try. I always have peppadews and feta in the fridge so I have no excuse 😉
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I do like store cupboard kind of recipes. Can’t wait to here what you think, Nicola!
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They look gert lush. I do like the occasional savoury muffin. Will have to give these a go seeing as I have the ingredients in the frigde. Will have to warn the engineer though, savoury instead of sweet will bound to be a shock, lol.
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And remember, don’t make them too big or they won’t eat them! 😉 I thought you might like these, Hazzer.
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Mini muffins for them 😉
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These do look good, and iI imagine that “flame-roasted” peppers from a jar, drained and chopped small, would work too (I often have “using up” issues when I’ve opened a jar). I’m amused that the Guardian classes them as ideal for children: most children I have come across would refuse to touch them – leaves more for me 😉
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I like the ‘heat’ of Peppadews but flame-roasted would definitely work just as well, Liz.
Their classification surprised me too! Maybe they mean they are easy to make but I suppose that goes for pretty much any muffin.
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Not fond of muffins but these look fantastic.
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Thank you, Sue!
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These look great. I will try them one day soon. I am always looking for more vegetarian recipes even if I am not a vegetarian.
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Thanks, Tatjana! I would love to hear how they turn out.
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That looks so yummy, could do with one right now.
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Well, there are still a few left but they are disappearing fast. 😉
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Not a big muffin maker, but they look lovely and would go down well with my hubby who prefers savoury to sweet.
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I hope you give them a try, Lesley.
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These look delicious – a perfect combination of flavors. I love savory muffins myself.
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Me too, Dawn. In fact, I’m thinking of creating a Cajun-style muffin. Watch this space!
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I made these for morning tea for the oldies I visit and they were a great hit. I too think that 200 grms of parmesan is a lot so I cut it down to 100 grms and it was plenty,
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So glad you/they liked them, Kathleen! 200 is a lot, good to hear you can use even less.
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