Beer Muffins

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1 1/4 cups beer, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Recipe

• 1 position rack in the center of oven; preheat oven to 400°.
• 2 prepare muffin tin—spray indentations and rims with nonstick spray.
• 3 in a bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pepper; set aside.
• 4 in another bowl, whisk the egg, melted butter, and mustard until blended.
• 5 gently whisk in the beer until the foaming subsides, then add the cheese.
• 6 finally, stir in the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until moistened.
• 7 fill prepared muffin tins ¾ full; bake 20 minutes or until muffins have lumpy brown tops and a pick comes out almost clean.
• 8 set pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes; gently tip each muffin to one side to make sure it’s not stuck (gently rock back and forth to release it); remove muffins from pan and cool for 5 minutes on wire rack.
• 9 *beer blue cheese muffins—decrease cheddar to ¾ cup and add ½ cup crumbled blue cheese, such as gorgonzola or stilton, with the remaining cheese; proceed as directed.
• 10 *beer caraway muffins—add 1 tablespoons caraway seeds with the flour; proceed as directed.
• 11 *beer celery seed muffins—add 1 tablespoon celery seeds with the flour; proceed as directed.
• 12 *cider muffins: substitute hard cider for the beer; proceed as directed.