Savory spinach muffins are delicious savory tarts perfect to serve as an appetizer, for a homemade aperitif or at a party buffet. Delicious, versatile and excellent to take with you to the office for an express but satisfying lunch break, they can be prepared without any difficulty in a few simple steps.
To make them, just make a quick dough using flour, instant yeast, eggs, melted butter, milk and grated parmesan; then add it to the diced provola cheese and spinach, previously cooked in a pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and chopped with a knife, and then distribute it in a special muffin mold, lined with paper cups. The result, after being baked in the oven, will be soft finger foods with a melting heart, which will also be loved by children who are usually not fond of vegetables.
The secret to achieving moist muffins lies in a delicate balance of ingredients and technique. A crucial component is the use of fat, such as oil or butter, which adds richness and retains moisture within the muffin. Oil tends to make muffins more moist than butter because it coats the flour proteins better, preventing them from absorbing too much water, which can lead to gluten development and a tougher texture. Incorporating ingredients with high moisture content, like yogurt, sour cream, or mashed bananas, can also contribute to a tender, moist crumb. Additionally, avoiding overmixing the batter is key; stir just until the wet and dry ingredients are combined, as overworking the batter can develop gluten and make the muffins dense. Lastly, precise baking—removing muffins from the oven as soon as they're done, without overbaking—ensures they remain moist and delicious.
– If you like, you can replace the provola cheese with crumbled feta, smoked scamorza cheese or another soft cheese.
– You can combine the rest of the ingredients with freshly ground pepper, the grated zest of a lemon, sage leaves, peeled thyme or other aromatic herbs of your choice.
– If there are no vegetarians among your guests or in the family, you can add cubes of ham, a shelled sausage or strips of bacon to the preparation.
– If you want to give a crunchy note to the muffins, try adding chopped almonds or hazelnuts.
– Depending on the season, you can make this recipe with fresh or frozen spinach, but also with new spinach in a bag ready to pour into the pot.
– Always grease or spray the inside of muffin liners with butter or oil, to keep the muffins from sticking to the liners.
If there are any leftovers, they can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container, for a maximum of 2 days.
Find out how to prepare spinach muffins following the step-by-step procedure and advice.
Heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a non-stick pan, add the spinach and let it cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once finished, add salt, remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a non-stick pan, add the spinach and let it cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once finished, add salt, remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Break the eggs into a bowl, add the grated parmesan and season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper.
Break the eggs into a bowl, add the grated parmesan and season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper.
Pour in the milk.
Pour in the milk.
Continue with the warm melted butter and beat the ingredients well with a hand whisk.
Continue with the warm melted butter and beat the ingredients well with a hand whisk.
Add the chopped spinach.
Add the chopped spinach.
Add the sifted flour and yeast.
Add the sifted flour and yeast.
Finish with the diced provola cheese and mix carefully with a spatula.
Finish with the diced provola cheese and mix carefully with a spatula.
Distribute the prepared dough into a muffin mold lined with paper liners and place in a preheated oven at 356°F/180°C for about 25 minutes.
Distribute the prepared dough into a muffin mold lined with paper liners and place in a preheated oven at 356°F/180°C for about 25 minutes.
Once the cooking time has passed, take the muffins out of the oven.
Once the cooking time has passed, take the muffins out of the oven.
Turn out the spinach muffins onto a serving plate, bring to the table and serve.
Turn out the spinach muffins onto a serving plate, bring to the table and serve.