Butternut squash and bacon muffins

I topped the muffins here with sunflower seeds, photography CJ Baldacchino during a live tv show

Pumpkin feast is celebrated in a beautiful village up North during the month of October every year. Veronica from Manikata was our tv guest this week and this is her recipe for Pumpkin muffins with cheddar and bacon.

Veronica's Pumpkin Cheddar and Bacon Muffins — Veronica’s Pumpkin Cheddar and Bacon Muffins Photography Ian Noel Pace

They were delicious and you will need:

80ml olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed or use Garlic Spray
250g butternut squash or pumpkin cut into very small cubes
200g grated cheddar or use a mix of 100g hard cheese like parmessan and 100g cheddar OR 100g grated white gbejna and 100g cheddar
100g bacon or jamon serrano
2 eggs
300ml skimmed milk
375g self raising flour
Salt and pepper to season if desired

Optional: Sunflower Seeds to top the muffins prior to baking

Spray a large pan with garlic cooking spray and saute the chopped onion and. Stir and cook on moderate heat until they soften. Add the chopped bacon or jamon serrano and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chopped butternut squash or pumpkin. Cook for another 5 minutes and remove from heat.

Allow the mixture to cook.
Sift the flour twice and add the salt and pepper if you are using it.
Add the grated cheeses and leave aside 3 spoonfuls to garnish the top.
In a separate container stir the milk, eggs and olive oil.
Add the cooled down bacon and pumpkin mix to the flour and mix gently to ensure that the pieces are covered with a light film of flour.
Add the cheese, gently mix and finally fold in the liquid ingredients.
Spoon the mixture into paper cases in a muffin tin. Top each muffin with the grated cheese and sunflower seeds if you are using them. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until they are golden brown at 180C. This makes 14 regular size muffins, OR 8 large muffins or 16 small ones.