I’ve been obsessed with these muffins for a while now. My friend Susanne (pronounced soo-sah-nah) makes them every time we go over to her house for dinner. I try to act casual and not eat too many, since they are a side dish, but sometimes I can’t help myself.

A large scoop makes portioning easy!

I have asked Susanne for the recipe for these delicious muffins every time she makes them, and she gives it to me every time. Well, I finally made them!!! The first thing I noticed in looking at the recipe was that the flour (3 cups) also has a weight measurement – 470 grams!!!! I checked with Susanne and she said that she follows the recipe as written, but I didn’t press to find out whether she measures using her measuring cups or her kitchen scale.

Muffins tins filled to the brim with batter.

So I made the muffins, using my scale. The dough was very stiff! But I followed the recipe pretty much as written, only using a different kind of cheese, and the muffins were delicious, and very sturdy. Oh, and I used a little more spinach than the recipe called for. Not a big deal. We had friends over, and they loved the muffins and wanted the recipe!

First batch – so very good!

The next time I made them, I decided I would cram as much flour into my measuring cup as I possibly could (such an unusual thing for me to do) to see if three cups of all-purpose flour could ever really weigh 470 grams, and the answer is no. When I packed the cup like crazy, I ended up with about 135 grams of flour per cup, give or take a few. So the total amount of flour for three cups was 400 grams, not 470. The second batch was also delicious, and a bit softer, since I used a little less flour. And there was another change: I decided to make smaller muffins, at the request of my younger daughter, so they would work better for a lunch snack to take to school. So I made 24 small muffins instead of 12 large ones, and just baked them for a few minutes less time.

These are the smaller ones that fit nicely into a lunch box.

Either way, both batches were so very good, and I will be making these again and again.

Spinach Pesto Muffins

• 3 cups packed all-purpose flour (400 grams)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 scant teaspoon salt (adjust, depending on how salty the cheese is)
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 package (10 oz or a bit more) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/2 cup favorite pesto*
• 1 cup shredded gruyère cheese**

1. Preheat oven to 375° and grease 12 standard muffin cups with butter.
2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, then whisk in the oil and milk. Stir in the spinach and stir until well blended and the spinach is no longer in chunks.
4. Add spinach mixture to flour mixture and stir just until evenly incorporated. Fold in pesto and cheese. Don’t over-mix!
5. Fill prepared muffin cups (if making 12 muffins, the batter will fill the cups; if making 24 muffins, batter will fill only half way). Bake on center rack in oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden, dry, and springy to the touch. Really, use your finger – the muffin should spring back. Remove from oven and let rest in muffin tin for about 5 minutes or so, then transfer muffins to cooling rack to cool. I think these are best when still a bit warm from the oven, but they are also delicious at room temperature. Makes 12 large muffins, or 24 small muffins. Enjoy!***

Notes:

*Use a pesto that you really like, as the pesto flavor is quite prominent.

**I use a cheddar-gruyère blend. I think straight gruyère would be nice also, but it can be a little strong for my kids, so I opted for something a little more mellow. The original recipe calls for mozzarella, but I wanted something with more of a kick. Susanne uses Jarlsberg. So really, choose whatever you think sounds good!

***The leftovers, if there are any, can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheated in a 350° oven for five minutes.