Cheesy and spicy with crispy, golden edges make these tender Cheddar Jalapeño Muffins one of my favourites. I have made them more times than I can remember because I like them that much. They are the perfect accompaniment to chili, stew, tomato soup or green salad and so good about ten minutes out of the oven. Just long enough for them to cool down enough to handle but are still warm on the inside and crispy on the outside.
This lovely recipe originates with one of my favourite food bloggers, Joy the Baker. Joy notes that you can bake these muffins with liners in the muffin tins. You certainly can, but trust me, you do not want to! I find it is best to generously butter non-stick muffin tins to achieve a wonderfully golden muffin bottom that is crispy and chewy when eaten while still slightly warm. They will pop right out of the muffin tins too. When using liners, the muffins need to cool completely before peeling away the liner, otherwise, they will stick and you’ll miss out on the best part. In a nutshell, it’s lots of butter, no liners!!
Do not be skimpy on the cheese!! It will seem like a lot, and the batter will be thick with an abundance of cheese, but the result is a gloriously cheesy muffin. It is also important not to over mix the batter. This is a quick bread and does not require gluten development, so only mix the wet and dry ingredients until they are combined. The batter won’t be completely smooth and that’s okay. The cheese needs to be folded in last so it doesn’t clog up the whisk and make everything gummy. It’s a quick and easy recipe that freezes well too. Simply store cooled muffins in an airtight container or bag for up to a month. Allow to thaw and warm gently in the oven or microwave. They don’t retain their crisp exterior, but they’re still delicious. Enjoy!
1/4cupfinely chopped drained pickled jalapeñosplus more for garnishing
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F and generously butter a 12 cup non-stick muffin tin.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Set aside.
Whisk the egg, add the milk and melted butter and continue to whisk to fully combine. Stir in jalapeños.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet stirring until just combined. Fold in cheese until evenly distributed in the batter.
Scoop batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups and bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan. Gently loosen the muffin tops if any have slightly stuck and pluck out the muffins placing them on a wire rack to cool further.
Notes
-these muffins are best served slightly warm out of the oven.-use a non-stick muffin tin for this recipe and be sure to butter generously. The butter not only helps the muffins not to stick but ensures a crisp and golden bottom. -you can use muffin liners but the muffins will need to cool completely before trying to peel off the liner.
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Cherry Salsa is sweet, spicy and delicious on goat cheese crostini, baked Brie, chicken cutlets or grilled meats. Simplicity is good and this quick and easy recipe can be ready for guests without much fuss. The dried cherries offer a nice texture to the salsa and the freshly chopped jalapenos, lime and vinegar balance the cherry jam. It’s so good!
My favourite way to eat this lovely Cherry Salsa is dabbed on crisp crostini smeared with goat cheese. The tang and creaminess of the goat cheese make it a great pairing with the salsa and the combo makes for an easy company friendly appetizer. Another great way to use Cherry Salsa is as a baked brie topping. Simply spoon the salsa onto your hot baked brie and serve with crisp crackers, crostini or crudites. I originally found this Cherry Salsa paired up pecan-crusted chicken wings. I’ve prepared pecan-crusted chicken cutlets in the past and thought this would also be a wonderful way to use the salsa in a main course. I was not disappointed as the crunchy, nutty cutlets beg for the sweet, spiciness that the salsa offers. The recipe for pecan-crusted chicken cutlets will be coming to the blog soon, so be sure to check back.
Chop dried cherries and combine with cherry jam in a mini food processor or blender. Pulse several times until cherries are about the size of a pea or smaller. Add remaining ingredients and pulse 2-3 times to combine.
Scoop into a serving dish, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes to meld flavours. Use as a topping for crostini, baked brie, breaded chicken cutlets or grilled meats.
Recipe Notes
-I find there is a need to first chop the cherries before adding to the food processor because everything becomes too processed in the time it takes the dried cherries to break down. By chopping the cherries first, the mixture retains most of its texture yet everything is combined.
-If a food processor is not available, simply chop everything by hand and combine.
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It’s hard to resist a flaky, buttery biscuit and these Flaky Jalapeño Cheddar Biscuits are tender and flaky. So good on their own, dunked or piled high with your favourite fillings. The good thing is, they’re easy to make using basic ingredients.So what makes a good biscuit?Let’s look at the basics.
-use quality butter.
-use fresh baking powder and baking soda, they do EXPIRE!
-cut butter into flour evenly to ensure a flaky biscuit.
-do not overwork the dough, once mixed, only knead enough to bring the dough together. Overworking dough will result in a tougher biscuit.
-use a sharp cutting tool for the best edges.
-brush tops and sides with a whisked mixture of egg and cream for a nice golden exterior.
What’s a biscuit good for?
By far my favourite thing to do with a flaky biscuit is dunk it into soup, stew or chili.But, they’re also wonderful as a sandwich.Especially these Flaky Jalapeño Cheddar Biscuits, because they spread out a little, making them just the right size for a fried egg…just saying!
Preheat oven to 425℉ and line a large baking tray with parchment.
In a large bowl whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add cubed butter and using a pastry cutter, cut butter into dry ingredients until pea-sized and evenly distributed.
Whisk together buttermilk and one large egg. Add to dry ingredients and stir until just starting to come together. Add grated cheese and diced jalapeno and continue to mix until incorporated being careful not to overmix. It will be a bit of a scraggly mess.
Flour your work surface and dump out the dough. Knead dough a few times to bring everything together. Flatten dough into a 3/4"-1" disk. Using a 3" round cutter, cut out biscuits.
Reform remaining dough and cut out biscuits. Place biscuits on a parchment lined baking tray.
Whisk together one large egg and one tbsp of milk or cream. Brush each biscuit top and sides generoulsly. Bake in preheated oven for about 18 minutes until golden and puffed.
Remove from oven and allow to rest on the tray for 3-5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Serve slightly warm.
Recipe Notes
-these particular biscuits spread out some and are wonderful sliced as a sandwich.
-I used a 3" cutter, however for slightly smaller biscuits that would be good for soups or stews a 2 1/2" cutter is probably preferred.
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With summer creeping upon us, I felt compelled to update one of my first posts as a food blogger and one of my favourite snacks, Pineapple Salsa!!A fantastic summer snack that’s worth repeating with a couple photos cleaned up.The original post was done for Cinco Da Mayo, however this fantastic recipe goes far beyond into the warm summer months with its perfect balance of sweet and spicy.Fresh and vibrant with fresh pineapple and lots of cilantro makes it a recipe I’ve made over and over. It’s always a hit, whether it be at work, at home or a social gathering. Serve with plenty of lime tortilla chips and watch it disappear.Enjoy!
Peel and core pineapple. Chop pineapple along with the tomatoes, red onion, and cucumber into 1/4 inch dice. Set aside together in a large bowl.
Cut jalapeño peppers in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds, finely chop into 1/8 inch dice. Add to bowl. Coarsely chop cilantro and add to bowl.
Cut limes in half and squeeze juice over mixture. Sprinkle with salt and stir to combine. Serve immediately with lime tortilla chips.
Recipe Notes
Resting the salsa for an hour will allow the lime juice to cut the bite in the jalapeño and red onion. It is strongly recommended to cut all ingredients by hand to retain the fresh appearance and prevent over processing the ingredients.
Recipe Source: Inspired by The Pampered Chef Pineapple Salsa
My latest obsession is tomatillo salsa or variations of. Why? Because it’s fresh and spicy like salsa, but because of the avocados there’s just a hint of creaminess. Count in the fresh garlic and cilantro and you couldn’t find a better match for your favourite tortilla chip. Grilled Tomatillo Avocado Dip brings all the fresh spiciness that you’d expect but with a little smoky char flavour. It adds just a bit earthy bitterness that balances with all the acidity and creaminess from the avocado. It’s a fantastic pairing with my Spicy Grilled Vodka Shrimp
While it’s pretty easy to throw all the ingredients into a food processor and call it a day, you won’t regret taking that extra step to the grill the veggies for this. It keeps several days in the refrigerator and freezes well too. So make up a batch and use it for a dip, topping for tacos or sauce for enchiladas. Enjoy!
Recipe source for Grilled Tomatillo Avocado Dip: Compelled To Cook
Preheat grill to medium. Peel onion and cut into 1" thick slices. Cut lime in half. In a large bowl combine, tomatillos, jalapeños, lime halves and onion slices. Drizzle with oil to coat lightly.
Grill vegetables until starting to char and blister, turning occasionally to slightly char evenly, approximately 4-5 minutes. Remove from grill and allow to cool slightly.
In the bowl of a food processor add grilled tomatillos, onion, avocado, cilantro and garlic. Cut stem from jalapeños and cut in half, scoop out seeds and add flesh to processor. Juice grilled lime and add to processor. Pulse until combined but still a little chunky. Season with salt and garnish with additional cilantro and chopped red onion. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or chill until ready to use.
Recipe Notes
The purpose of grilling is to impart a slightly smoky charred flavour. You only need to char the vegetables a little here to get the flavour. Too much char will lead to bitterness.
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