We had a lot of fun with our breakfasts and afternoon tea this past weekend. With the weather being a little dreary it just seemed like the perfect time to be in the kitchen messing around with some new recipes and ideas. In the past I have been one of those innkeepers that felt we needed to preplan the menus – especially in the summer when we are so busy. Every year about this time I would put together a two week rotation menu that preplanned 14 breakfasts including the first and main courses. Pretty much over the years we stuck to this menu- well I am living on the wild side now and am being much more creative and flexible about the food we prepare for our afternoon teas and breakfast. It really has been uplifting as I feel my body, mind and soul are more happy with living in the moment.
And so- being an innkeeper that is living on the wild side:)- I decided to try a savory muffin recipe that caught my eye. My mother’s recipe for Blueberry muffins and our apricot scones were so popular in the past that I never tried many new muffin and scone recipes. WELL- after thumbing through some of my favorite cookbooks I saw a recipe for Herbed Goat’s Cheese muffins. It has all of my appreciated ingredients including butter, yogurt and fresh herbs and I thought it would pair perfectly with our Cheesy Spinach Omelets.
Freeman OmeletsWe love omelets at the inn- mainly because they are fresh, healthy, easy to make and our guests always smile when they see them on the menu. We served the savory muffins as our first course with coffee, tea and the fresh fruit course and then just asked everyone if they would like extra grain toast with their main course.
These muffins really are quite good. I especially liked them as they are light and fluffy and bursting with the herb and goat’s cheese flavors. I indulged and buttered mine with salted butter. These muffins would be perfect for a picnic or special weekend breakfast.
These little delights are reminiscent of something you might find in a Southern France cafe.
- 2 cups AP flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- ¼ teaspoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 teaspoon herb deProvince seasoning
- 8 Tablespoon unsalted butter, softened and cubed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 cup plain full fat yogurt
- ½ cup crumbled fresh goat's cheese
- Preheat oven to 375 and grease 12 standard muffin tins or line with paper liners.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, thyme, sage and herb deProvence in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender, a fork or your finger tips until crumbly. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, mustard and yogurt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the yogurt mixture. Stir with a wedded spoon JUST until combined. It's very important not to over stir as the dough will be tough. Lightly fold in the crumbled goat's cheese and spoon the mixture into the muffin tins.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops are golden and firm to touch. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Happy Monday and Boston Marathon Day everyone!
