Yummy Breakfast Muffins

These are not your standard sweet breakfast muffins. The mustard, ham, and Swiss cheese push these firmly into savoury territory, where they sit alongside scones and biscuits rather than blueberry or banana muffins. Two tablespoons of sugar is the only sweetener, which is enough to round out the savoury flavours without making the muffins read as dessert.

The sour cream is what gives these muffins their tender, slightly tangy crumb. A full cup of it replaces the typical milk-and-butter combination, and the acidity activates the baking soda for proper lift while the fat keeps things rich and moist.

Fold in the ham and cheese gently at the very end, after the dry ingredients are just barely moistened. Aggressive mixing breaks the cheese into smaller pieces and develops too much gluten, which gives you tough rubbery muffins instead of tender ones.

Kitchen Tips

• Chop the ham finely, about pea-sized. Big chunks fall out of the muffin and don’t distribute evenly through the batter.
• Use a quality ham, not deli lunch meat. Smoked ham or honey-baked ham has real flavour; cheap deli ham reads as salty rubber once baked.
• Mix the dry ingredients in just until moistened. A few flour streaks are fine; smooth batter means overmixed batter.
• Pre-shred or dice the Swiss cheese into small pieces rather than using large shreds. Big shreds melt into puddles; small pieces stay as distinct pockets.

Variations

• Substitute crumbled cooked bacon for the ham for a smokier flavour.
• Use sharp cheddar or Gruyere instead of Swiss for stronger cheese punch.
• Stir in 2 tablespoons of chopped chives or scallions for a fresh oniony note.