Recipe: Stilton & Walnut Muffins

With Christmas fast approaching we thought that we'd call upon Mel Hutchfield to whip up some fantastic yuletide recipes. In the first of this five part series, Mel teaches us how to make stilton and walnut muffins...

These festive treats taste delicious straight from the oven or if you resist the urge will keep in an airtight tin for several days.

Ingredients:

• 4 finely chopped shallots
• 250g self-raising flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 2 medium eggs
• 80g salted butter melted and cooled
• 160ml plain yogurt
• 80ml milk
• 140g stilton
• 60g chopped walnuts

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 200c/gas 5

2. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cases

3. Fry the shallots on a medium heat until soft, then remove from the pan to cool slightly

4. Put the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and mustard powder into a large bowl

5. In a jug, whisk together the eggs, butter, yoghurt and milk, then add them to the flour mixture and stir gently

6. Fold in the shallots, 120g of the cheese and the walnuts

7. Fill the muffin cases until about two thirds full

8. Crumble the rest of the cheese over the top

9. Bake for 18-20mins until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean

10. Allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes