Bread has been my favorite food for as long as I can remember. My favorite after-school snack was sourdough bread dipped in olive oil. I thought (and still think) that pizza crust is the best part of a pizza. When I visited Paris I all but lost my mind over perfect baguettes. If given the choice, I’d rather eat an entire pan of biscuits than any other breakfast food. Bread is a last meal kind of love for me. Give me all the bread.
When I started baking, I realized that by far my favorite task is making dough. I love kneading bread, seeing it rise, smelling its yeasty goodness. It’s not surprising. Everything about bread makes me happy.
As much as I love getting my hands in some dough, sometimes the day calls for a quick bake. Enter beer bread.
Beer bread is unique. Even though it is a quick bread, rather than a yeasted bread, you get a lot of developed flavor from the beer. The beer gives the bread a deep yeasty flavor and aroma quickly. It’s more bang for your buck so to speak. That’s important to me. I think that if a recipe is quick, it still better deliver big on taste. And let me tell you, these little beer bread muffins do just that.
These apple cheddar beer bread muffins are barely sweetened with little bits of tart apple and pockets full of melted cheese and scallions. The edges where the cheese meets the pan get a little crispy and extra delicious. In less than an hour, you can prep, bake, and eat these little guys. Happy baking 🙂
If you like this recipe for Apple Cheddar Beer Bread Muffins, you might also like:
Guinness Bread with Sunflower & Pumpkin Seeds
Savory Apple & Rosemary Galette
Apple Cheddar Beer Bread Muffins
Apple Cheddar Beer Bread Muffins are full of little bits of sweet/tart apple and pockets of melty cheese. They're an easy and delicious side for your breakfast, brunch, or even dinner.
Ingredients
For the Muffins:
- 1 medium granny smith apple
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup (about 4 ounces) sharp cheddar cheese
- 3 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 1/4 cup beer (a simple lager works well)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
To top the Muffins:
- 2 tablespoons sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 12 muffin pan generously with butter and set aside.
-
Peel and shred the apple. Place the shredded apple on paper towel or a clean kitchen bowl and wring out as much liquid as you can. Heat a small non-stick skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and shredded apple. Sautee the apple, stirring frequently, until softened. About 5 or so minutes.
-
In the meantime, prep the rest of the ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and pepper. Set aside. Chop the four ounces of cheese into small cubes. They should be a little smaller than the size of a pencil eraser.
-
Once the apple is softened, allow to cool slightly.
-
Toss the cheese, scallions and shredded apple into the dry mixture. Make sure to break up the shreds of apple. Pour the beer and 3 tablespoons of melted butter into the dry mix. Stir the dough together with a wooden spoon until all the flour is hydrated.
-
Divide the batter among the muffin cups. A large cookie scoop works well for this because the batter is quite sticky! Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of melted butter evenly over the tops of the muffins. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the tops of the muffins. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan about half way through baking. My favorite way to check for done-ness is to use a thermometer. The muffins are done between 190-195 degrees Fahrenheit.
-
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!
Leave a Reply