
I am so pleased to welcome Victoria Hamilton back to Mystery Lovers' Kitchen. A lot of you remember her from her Merry Muffin Mystery series. And now, she's here with great news!!! (Don't miss her giveaway!)
A couple of years ago many cozy
mystery series were orphaned when Berkley decided against renewing contracts
for them. My Merry Muffin Mystery series was one of those, and for a while I wasn’t
sure if I should continue it, or just move on. But I love writing it so much I
just couldn’t let go, so… Merry Wynter and the gang are back in 2019!
I have found a new publisher for
them, Beyond the Page (who also publish my Vintage Kitchen Mystery series) so
they will be available in ebook AND paperback formats! If you haven’t read the
series yet, check out my website to start with the first book, Bran New Death.
Muffin But Trouble, #6 in the
series, will be coming out in the late spring. Much has happened in the year
since we last checked in on Merry Wynter of Wynter Castle and her eclectic crew
of friends.
To celebrate, I whipped up a batch
of savory muffins, great to pair with soup or stew!
Savory Herb and Smoked Cheddar
Muffins
Makes: 14 – 16 (I made 12 regular
and 6 mini two-bite muffins!)
Ingredients
- 2 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
- 1 – 1 ½ cup smoked cheddar cheese (coarsely grated) OR use any melty cheese, like Monterey Jack. *I considered a jalapeno Monterey Jack, and may do so next time to serve these muffins with chili. In that case I may also add a ¼ teaspoon of chili powder to the muffins for a zesty go-along flavour!
- Up to a ¼ cup of fresh herbs: you could use parsley, rosemary, thyme, or dill (chopped), or whatever blend of herbs you prefer. If you are using dry herbs, use less. *What I used: I rummaged in my winter garden and got some rosemary and thyme. The parsley was frozen, though, so I used a tablespoon of dried parsley to substitute. That made three tablespoons, altogether, two fresh, one dried.
- 1 large egg
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil OR melted butter
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk or substitute. (I NEVER have buttermilk on hand, so, to make a substitute, put 1 ½ tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup, then top with fresh milk to make 1 ½ cups.)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper. Whisk thoroughly.
- Add the grated cheese and chopped herbs to the flour mixture and mix.
- Mix the egg, vegetable oil, and buttermilk (or buttermilk substitute) in a separate bowl, then combine with the dry ingredients using a large spoon or spatula. Mix just until no flour is visible. Do not overmix.
- These muffins will stick to paper liners (unless they are special parchment baking liners) so just use a muffin tin and spray liberally with oil! And I do mean liberally. *What I use… I have a pump oil sprayer that allows me to use regular vegetable oil. I just love it! As long as I have oil in the house, I have spray oil.
- Evenly divide the batter among the muffin cups. *What I did extra: I cut more cheese into half centimetre cubes (who ever gets enough cheese?) and studded the muffins with five or six of the cubes, pushing them into the batter lightly, but so they were still showing.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Run a butter knife around the muffins while they are still hot to loosen them from the pan. This is vital! Because of the cheese they will stick, otherwise. I was gentle, and they loosened and lifted out quite nicely.
These muffins
came out wonderful, with a bready texture, heavenly smell, and crispy crust.
They go great with homemade soup, like a Cream of Cauliflower or Tomato! Because
it’s just after the holiday season I paired them with my homemade turkey
vegetable soup and they were delish!
Giveaway
To
celebrate the upcoming revival of the Merry Muffin Mysteries, I’m happy to give
away a $25 Amazon gift card to a commenter here! Do you like muffins? Tell me
what kind, and enter to win!
About the Merry Muffin Mystery
series:
Merry Wynter didn’t know a lot about her family until she
finally made her way to take possession of her inherited castle near the town
of Autumn Vale, in upstate New York. Though she intended to do a quick
fix and put it back on the market, she realizes if she is ever going to find
out her family history on the Wynter side, this is the place to do it.
Baking muffins, investigating murders, making friends... and
enemies... among the quirky residents of Autumn Vale, keeps Merry busy, and
local Sheriff Virgil Grace keeps her heart rate high. Though the widowed Merry
still carries a torch in her heart for her late husband, photographer Miguel
Paradiso, maybe there is enough room there for a new flame?
With her wonderful friends Pish Lincoln and Shilo Dinnegan, who
have joined her at the castle, Merry is starting to find it hard to imagine
leaving the ancestral home of her Wynter ancesters. If folks wouldn’t keep
getting murdered, it would be pretty much perfect!
Visit me (Victoria Hamilton) at my website, VictoriaHamiltonMysteries.com and sign
up for my newsletter, or find me on Facebook!
Your recipe looks good. I like savory muffins. I use sharp cheddar and chives.
ReplyDeletebluedawn95864 at gmail dot com
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Victoria,
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of your book series before,so glad I found out about it!!! I adore your book titles!
Savory Herb and Smoked Cheddar Muffins look delicious!I love muffins,savory and sweet. My kids and I planning on making eggnog muffins with rest of the eggnog.
Happy New Year!Wishing you success!
BakingCookies32(at)gmail(dot)com
This sounds like an excellent series- I can’t wait to jump into it! The last muffin I made was carrot cake - it was really tasty and moist with some applesauce in it.
ReplyDeleteMuffins are my favourite thing to bake! There are so many variations and you can find a recipe to accompany just about every type of meal. Making your recipe with the Monterey Jack and chili powder sound so good!
ReplyDeleteI am so happy this series is coming back! Thank you for giving away a gift card.
debprice60@gmail.com
My favorite muffins are cranberry orange ones.
ReplyDeletesgiden at verizon(.)net
I am so excited that Merry and the gang will be back — I’ve missed them! My favorite muffins are cranberry orange. cking78503(at)aol(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI'm SO glad you're continuing the Merry Wynter series! I enjoy the muffin mysteries and I love the muffin recipes. My first adventure in the kitchen was leaning to make the bran muffin recipe on the Kellogg's bran cereal box when I was 13. I'm 72 now and a fan of all sorts of muffins, sweet and savory. I'll be making the Savory Herb & Smoked Cheddar Muffins to have with vegetable soup. It'll be the perfect combination during this cold weather we're having. lnchudej@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI love Blueberry or Smoked Cheddar...yum~ congratulations on the series continuing...
ReplyDeleteMarilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com
The only muffins I will eat is Chocolate chip.
ReplyDeleteLove making muffins of all kinds - savory and sweet. Great for freezing and taking out only one or two when needed! My favorites would be zucchini muffins, an apple butter muffin, and a cheeseburger muffin (good portable meal!). Will definitely try this recipe!
ReplyDeleteJwhite410@yahoo.com
Blueberry muffins for me! So happy that the series will continue and thanks for the chance to win..
ReplyDeletesalvatoresmom71(at)yahoo(dot)com
I love blueberry m,muffins but these just might get a try they do sound great. thanks for the chance to win jcook22@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI love this series and am so glad it is coming back. I live chocolate chip muffins and coffee cake muffins.
ReplyDeleteLisamil46@gmail.com
I am so glad the castle group is back. I have missed them. I like muffins. My favorite is one that my suster makes infrequently. It doesn’t sound good. Its base is bran but it doesn’t taste like that. My second favorite is squash with mace. suefoster109 at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteWe need sniff-0-vision because as I read the recipe for Savory Herb and Smoked Cheddar Muffins I just know that a good sniff would get up and and going this morning. Sounds delicious!
ReplyDeleteWe do love muffins - of every sort. One that my family loves is the All In One Breakfast Muffin. Here is the recipe"
All In One Breakfast Muffin
1 ¾ cup flour
1 cup 3 minute oats
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
½ pound bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup onion - finely chopped
1/3 cup bell pepper – finely chopped
In bowl combine the dry ingredients (first 5) and set aside. Mix milk, egg and oil.
Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients all at once. Stir only until moistened.
Stir in bacon, cheese, onion and bell pepper.
Fill greased muffin pan 2/3 full.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes
Makes 1 dozen muffins
Thanks for the wonderful chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card!
2clowns at arkansas dot net
These look delicious!
DeleteDon’t bake as much as used to. Love your series! So glad this one is continuing.
ReplyDeleteTennisace50 (at) yahoo (dot) com thank you!
I like blueberry muffins. And this series looks great! Thanks for the recipe. ckmbeg (at) gmail (dot) com
ReplyDeleteChocolate chip muffins are my favorite.
ReplyDeleteHi Victoria! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your new book, recipe and giveaway with Mystery Lovers' Kitchen! My favorite muffins are blueberry with streusel topping -- I love biting into those blueberries!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year Victoria! Cannot wait to see what Merry and the gang are up to next!!!! My favorite muffin, a good ole chocolate chip muffin. All the best, Jenn Owen bazzill@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteOh I really like that! It looks so good!! While I like all flavors, well, most, my absolute 2 favorites are Morning Glory, and Cranberry/Orange.
ReplyDeleteI am on a quest for the best (read good tasting and easy to make) bran muffin recipe. I'd like to read your series. Thanks for the chance to win.
ReplyDeletepjcoldren[at]tm[dot]net
I’m so glad this series is coming back! I’ve missed it!!! My favorite muffin is a chocolate muffin!!
ReplyDeleteYour series is wonderful. I look forward to this new cozy. My favorite muffin is a lemon muffin. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI love muffins. Baking is not my strong point, but I try... Cheers (at) MarjimManor (dot) com
ReplyDeleteI am pleased that your series is continuing. Your muffins looks enticing. I enjoy marble muffins. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI love raspberry white chocolate chip muffins. So happy to hear the series has been revived with another publisher. Can't wait to purchase the paperback boo.
ReplyDeleteI really like blueberry and bran muffins. I'm so glad the series is continuing. Thank you for the chance to win. Dmskrug3 at hotmail dot com
ReplyDeleteSavory muffins are such a good idea, especially with soups and stews.
ReplyDeletelibbydodd at comcast dot net
I love muffins, blueberry is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteI love muffins. My favorite is banana nut . Yum. xzjh04(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteMy favorite muffins were a cranberry orange with powdered sugar crumb topping made by Costco - they haven't made them in years, but they should - another author added to my TBR list - thanks for the contest - trwilliams 69 at msn dot com
ReplyDeleteI love strawberry and peach muffin best.Candykennedy45@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteLove this series. The muffins I enjoy are blueberry and corn muffins. I eat blueberry muffins with a nice cup of tea and the corn muffins with butter and some ice tea.
Reply