Potato Muffins with Macedonian Feta

There is more than one way to love a vegetable. I realized this sweet fact after I made kljukuša yesterday morning. After savoring every last morsel of it, I decided to prove our love for potatoes today one more time and I made potato muffins with Macedonian feta. It was the first time I used potatoes in muffins and I once again followed no other recipe than my culinary skills and imagination on this sunny Sunday morning in Sarajevo. I'm really happy not only to have expanded  my repertoire but also to have turned this morning into a stage show to perform my love for potatoes. Here comes my recipe which might go through many transformations in time. Still, these muffins disappeared as they took their place on the breakfast table in the garden today accompanied by Turkish tea. I love it a bit more crispy on the outside so it depends on your taste how much to keep them in the oven after they turn golden. 

Ingredients

4-5 medium potatoes

1 egg, lightly beaten 

4-5 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

100-200 gr Macedonian feta, grated

1/3 cup olive oil 

milk or buttermilk

Salt, pepper and oregano to taste 

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 175 °C. Line muffin tin with paper muffin cups.

2. Peel and grate the potatoes. Grate the garlic and add to the potatoes.

3. In a large bowl, gently whisk together the flour, baking powder, pepper and salt. Switch to a wooden spoon and add the potato and cheese. Stir to combine, then make a well in the center.

4. In a small bowl combine the olive oil, egg and milk/buttermilk with a whisk. Pour into the well and mix until just combined – the batter will be thick. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, dividing the batter evenly among the muffin molds. Fill in only 3/4 of the moulds. Pour in extra milk/buttermilk until it covers the potato mixture. 

5. Bake for 35 minutes, raising the temperature to 200 degrees during the last 5 minutes. Keep an eye on the muffins after you’ve raised the temperature to prevent over-browning. The muffins are done when light golden in color.

6. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before removing the muffins from the tin. If cooling for longer than 5 minutes, move muffins to a cooling rack to avoid soggy bottoms. Serve warm with butter or yogurt.