Everyday food: Bacon & Corn Muffins

When you come home from work, when your flatmates have been working the night shift again, or when the kids return, exhausted, from school, it's nice to have something for them to turn to to stave off virtual starvation. These muffins are amazing hot and at room temperature, and can be made ahead and frozen, only to be reheated in the microwave at the last minute. Having things in the house that you can eat in one go, and not have to put a great deal of effort into preparing, makes coming home that much better.

6 bacon rashers, rind removed, diced

1 cup plain flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

60g butter, melted

A 300g can cream-style sweetcorn

1. Preheat oven to 220C or 200C fan. Lightly grease 12 hole 1/2 cup muffin pan. Fry bacon in its own fat (that is, no added oil) over a moderately high heat, until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. 

2. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. In another bowl, combine egg, milk, butter and corn, mixing well. Stir liquid ingredients in a very lightly, so that batter is still lumpy. Fold in bacon. Spoon into buttered muffin pans until two-thirds full and bake for 15-20 minutes until risen and golden. Cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. 

Tip: For best results do not overmix the batter. The mixture should be lumpy and far from smooth, so they're even more soft and crumbly when you eat them.