Spicy Cashew and Feta Beer Muffins #MuffinMonday

Every week when Anuradha sends out the muffin recipe, I put on my thinking cap (Did you have a teacher in grade school who encouraged you to put on your thinking cap?  How do they come up with this stuff?!) and consider the pros and cons of the ingredients.  Which do I love?  Which could I do without?  What about substitution possibilities?  And then I make the muffin I would most like to eat.  It’s not a very scientific process but it works for me.  I hope that most weeks it works for some of you.

Today’s muffin was most definitely savory, calling for chives and black pepper and lemon, so I chose to continue in that mien.  I kept the lemon, substituted Szechuan peppercorns for black pepper, beer for milk and added feta along with spicy roasted cashews.  I’m telling you what, lovely people, these are some seriously good muffins.  The only change I would make is to use a mini muffin tin the next time, so others can't keep count of how many of these little babies you’ve eaten.  Which gets embarrassing with large muffins.  Also, because they would be great as a bite-sized cocktail snack.  Let's go with that reason.

Ingredients
2 cups or 250g all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 lemon for the zest
1/3 cup or 80ml canola or other light oil
1 egg
3/4 cup or 180ml beer
2 oz or 100g feta
3 oz or 80g roasted cashews, out of which reserve 12 whole nuts for topping

Method
Preheat your oven to 375°F or 190°C.  Grease your 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick spray or a little oil.

Measure your flour, baking powder, Szechuan peppercorns and salt into a large mixing bowl.  Grate your lemon zest into it.  Stir well.

In another smaller bowl, whisk your oil and egg thoroughly.

Add in the beer and give it a gentle stir.

Crumble your feta if it didn’t come already crumbled.  If you freeze it a little bit first, this is much easier.

Count out 12 whole spicy roasted cashews to add to the top of the batter before baking, then coarsely chop the remainder.

Pour your wet ingredients into your dry ones and mix just slightly.  There will probably still be some flour showing.

Fold in the chopped cashews and feta.

Divide the batter between the greased muffin cups.  Add one whole cashew to the top of each.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the muffins are browned a little and a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool briefly in the pan and then remove to a wire rack.

Serve these with a cold glass of beer or your favorite beverage.

Enjoy!