honey lemon goat cheese muffins

One thing I learned today? The IRS hold music isn’t so bad! I mean, it’s a fairly nondescript piece of instrumental music, but since you will usually wait for more than 15 minutes–I waited 30+ minutes, btw–you don’t want to recognize where the loop starts and ends, because then you will be ware of how long you’ve waited on hold. What constitutes good hold music, in my opinion, is when the end blends into the beginning so well that it just sounds like the song hasn’t reached it’s end and isn’t starting a loop. Anyways…

I decided I might as well call the Cable company to readjust our rate. Total time on the phone took an hour for both. I didn’t really need to take the day off, but I figured this would also be a good day to do some baking!! Honey Lemon Goat Cheese Muffins!!

Lately, I’ve been thinking up things that straddle the line between savory and sweet, but ultimately end up on the sweet side. And goat cheese just seemed to be the ingredient that ties it all in!

The first time I tried goat cheese, I really thought it was gross. That sour, pungent smell took me to the hairy belly of a dirty goat I had seen at a petting zoo–no thanks! But gradually, taste buds learn to appreciate the unfamiliar, especially when you are surrounded by foodies. And Seattle is a foodie city, and gradually I decided that I like goat cheese. A lot!

And I bought blackberries and blueberries to put into these muffins, but didn’t put them in because I wanted the honey, lemon, and goat cheese flavors to shine and not be sidelined by the berries. I think I made the right choice. I guess I could always make smoothies with the berries.

Honey Lemon Goat Cheese Muffins

ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (if using regular salt, go with 1/4 teaspoon)

1/3 cup honey

2 eggs

4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (which measures out to about 1 cup after crumbled), plus about 1 ounce more for topping, if using

2 ounces unsalted butter, melted and cooled

zest of two lemons

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

demerara sugar, for topping, if using

honey, for drizzling, if using

method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12-count muffin tin with liners, or spray the tin with baking (butter/flour) spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift the first four ingredients into the bowl, and stir them with a whisk until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

In another medium bowl, combine the honey, eggs, and goat cheese and blend until smoother. It’s okay if the cheese is a little lumpy. Add the butter by slowly pouring it while using a handheld beater. Add the flour mixture and use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to mix, being careful not to overmix. Add the the zest and lemon juice, and stir more to incorporate it more fully, again, being careful not to overmix. The batter will be lumpy.

Divide the batter into 12 equal portions on the muffin tin. It helps to use a measuring cup to get them all fairly similar in size. Each of the molds should only have about 1/4 cup of the muffin batter. Top with the demerara sugar, goat cheese, and drizzle honey, if using. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes, give or take. Oven’s vary, so it may be ready before 20, or after 20. Mine took exactly 20 minutes. Enjoy!!