Bacon, Cheese and Onion Muffins - Mawhene Pēkana, Tīhi me te Aniana

A savoury muffin with flavours of bacon, cheese, onion and herbs with the option of a plain muffin or a decorated one. Such a tasty muffin that is perfect for lunch boxes, picnics or a quick bake when guests arrive.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Servings medium muffins

Ingredients

The bacon - Te Pēkana

200 g pēkana (bacon, I prefer middle bacon for this recipe). This can also be replaced with ham, chorizo or any meat you have.
3 tbsp huka hāura (brown sugar). You can also use maple syrup or honey here.
2 tsp pārihi tauraki (dried basil or your favourite dried herbs)
½ tsp each of tote me te pepa (salt and pepper)
1 tbsp ranunga kāriki me te amiami (garlic and herb mix, I use a Mingle one for this). This can be replaced with a mix of garlic powder, onion powder and whatever other herbs you like).
3 puna riki (spring onions)

The Muffin Mixture - Te Ranunga Mawhene

2 hēki (eggs, size 7)
⅓ C noni ōriwa (olive oil or any oil you have)
¾ C miraka tepe (yogurt, plain and unsweetened)
¼ C miraka (milk)
200 g tīhi (cheese, whatever cheese you have). I used smoked aged cheddar and it was divine.
2 tsp pēkana paura (baking powder)
½ tsp pēkana houra (baking soda)
2 C puehu parāoa noa (plain flour)

Ngā Kīnaki - The Condiments (Optional)

½ C kīnaki (chutney, I used a Barkers Sun-dried tomato and olive in mine but use what you like).

Ngā Whakarākei - The Decorations (Optional)

100 g kirīmi tīhi (cream cheese, room temperature)
2 tsp wai rēmana (lemon juice)
A handful of your favourite herbs. I used chives and dill.
Kiri rēmana (lemon zest, of one lemon)
1 quantity Parmesan Wafers

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 180 °C, fan bake.
Line a Texas muffin tin with 12 liners or a standard muffin tins with 16 liners.

The bacon - Te Pēkana

You have two options here.

Option 1 - Develop the flavour of the bacon by frying it first, I prefer this for the best flavour.

Chop the pēkana (bacon) in to rough chunks.
Set a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pēkana (bacon) and fry until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Add the huka hāura (brown sugar), pārihi tauraki (dried basil), tote me te pepa (salt and pepper) and ranunga kāriki me te amiami (garlic and herb mix). Fry it off for a few minutes until sticky and fragrant.
Remove from the heat and leave to the side to cool slightly.

Option 2 - Skip the cooking of the bacon if you are short on time.

Chop the pēkana (bacon) in to rough chunks. Add it to small bowl and add the huka hāura (brown sugar), pārihi tauraki (dried basil), tote me te pepa (salt and pepper) and ranunga kāriki me te amiami (garlic and herb mix).
Combine it all together with your hands or a fork to get all the flavours working. Leave to the side as you prepare the ranunga mawhene (muffin mixture).

The Muffin Mixture - Te Ranunga Mawhene

Add the hēki (eggs) to a large bowl and beat them with a whisk or a fork for about a minute.
Pour in the noni (oil) as you continue to whisk. Add the miraka tepe (yogurt) and miraka (milk) and whisk again until smooth.
Grate the 200 g of tīhi (cheese) directly in to the egg mixture. Reserve a little bit of tīhi (cheese) for the tops of the muffin, if you want to.
Chop the aniana (onions) roughly and add it in, along with the ranunga pēkana (bacon mixture). Roughly mix it together.
Add the pēkana paura (baking powder) and pēkana houra (baking soda) and stir it again.
Sift in the puehu parāoa (flour) and fold it gently together with a spatula.
Don't over work the mixture here, just fold it until everything is just combined. The mixture is quite tight but that is what we want.
Distribute the mixture between the prepared muffin tins.

Ngā Kīnaki - The Condiments (Optional)

If you are using the kīnaki (chutney), make a hole in each one with a teaspoon. Fill it with a small teaspoon of kīnaki (chutney) and top it with a little extra tīhi (cheese).

Time to Bake - Te Wā Tunu Kai

Place the trays in the pre-heated oven.
If you are baking them in the Texas muffin tins, bake for 25 minutes.
If you are baking them in standard muffin tins, bake for 20 minutes .
They are ready when they spring back when pressed.
Eat warm as a delicious morning tea or as a side with your favourite hot soup.
They will keep well for a days in a sealed container in a cupboard. These would also be delicious if they were toasted.
If you want to make them for someone special, make the toppings like I did and add them once the muffins are cool.

Ngā Whakarākei - The Decorations (Optional)

Add the kirīmi tīhi (cream cheese), amiami (herbs) and wai rēmana (lemon juice) to a medium bowl. Whip it for 3 minutes.
Pipe a little bit on top of each cooled mawhene (muffin) or you can add it on with a teaspoon. Grate over a little bit of kiri rēmana (lemon zest).
Make the Parmesan Wafers according to the instructions.
Top with pieces of parmesan wafer for some added magic but be aware that parmesan wafers will loose their crispiness after a few hours. So add them just before serving.
These will keep well in a sealed container for a couple of days but best eaten the day they are decorated.