Make delicious cheese muffins using this ‘creamy award-winning cheddar’

South Africans aren’t well known for their palates for cheese. For years the choice has been between very feeble-tasting, rubbery-textured and orange-coloured Gouda and cheddar-style cheeses.

The good news is our tastes are evolving, and when a 18-month mature cheddar cheese takes top honours out of 920 dairy products from 68 producers entered in the recently announced SA Dairy Awards 2022, things are looking up.

The cheddar, made exclusively for Woolworths, may look like a light-coloured piece of edible textured rock. It is produced by local cheesemaker Lactalis SA, formerly Parmalat SA, at its main cheese plant in Bonnievale in the Cape.

It’s one of my fave cheeses. I   hanker after the strong bite of the cheddar.

On its packaging, Woolworths describe it as “a creamy award-winning savoury cheddar cheese with a slightly crunchy and crumbly texture and matured for a minimum of 18 months”.

I can attest as a mature cheddar lover that it tastes damn good.

Not only is this cheddar a dairy champ but it was also granted the highest accolade of the golden seal Qualite mark of excellence. Unfortunately for those looking for the winning cheese, which has certainly prickled the interest of cheese lovers, Woolworths is presently out of stock, such is the rush, but it should be back on the shelves soon.

This fave recipe — only really good made with a mature cheddar, for a distinctive cheesy flavour with a favourable bite — is easy-as-pie cheese muffins.

The only disadvantage is they don’t keep and must be enjoyed on the day of baking, which is never a problem in my household.

MATURE CHEDDAR CHEESE MUFFINS

Makes: 12

Ingredients:

500ml (2 cups) cake wheat flour

15ml (1 tbsp) baking powder

5ml (1 tsp) salt

A pinch of cayenne pepper

5ml (1 tsp) dry mustard powder

500ml (2 cups) mature cheddar cheese, grated

1 large egg

250ml (1 cup) full cream milk

40ml vegetable oil

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Sift the dry ingredients together before adding the cheese.
2. Beat together the egg, milk and vegetable oil and add to the dry ingredients, mixing quickly but don’t overmix. A guide is to stir through seven times.
3. Spray a muffin tray with cooking spray and half fill with the muffin filling.
4. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool for five minutes before removing from the pan. Serve with butter and extra cheese if desired.

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