If you don’t mind a bit of last-minute cooking, may I suggest you serve these warm? Light, cheesy, rosemary-scented little cakes, they are infinitely more delicious when served from the oven, like their sweet cousin, the madeleine.
You could bake them an hour before you plan to eat, keeping them warm in the switched-off oven or, should the oven be busy, wrapped loosely in tin foil still in their baking tin. Ideally, though, they are meant as breakfast muffins, something to serve on Boxing Day morning.
Makes 12
plain flour 275g
caster sugar 1 tbsp
baking powder 2 tsp
apple 1, medium-sized
eggs 3
yoghurt 175ml
speck 200g
parmesan 75g, finely grated
To finish
parmesan 1 tbsp, finely grated
rosemary leaves 1 tbsp, chopped
pine nuts 2 tbsp
Set the oven at 180C fan/gas mark 6.
Line 12 bun tins with paper muffin cases. Put the flour in a mixing bowl and combine thoroughly with the caster sugar, baking powder and a pinch of salt. Grate the apple without peeling it. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs then stir in the yoghurt. Tear the speck into small, stamp-sized pieces and add to the batter, followed by the grated apple. Fold in the grated cheese, then lightly mix with the dry ingredients.
Divide the batter between the muffin cases, add the pine nuts, rosemary and parmesan, then bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until risen and pale gold.
Nigel Slater is the Observer’s cookery writer
