Bacon and Cheese Mini-Quiche Muffins

Sometimes you have a memory of a certain food, or a snippet of a song, or catch a familiar aroma passing by – something that you’d like to grab hold of and re-experience.  That sounds a little lofty as a lead-up to mini-quiche muffins, but when you are standing in 15 degree weather waiting for the ski lift lines to open, feeling cold and hungry, a piping hot, cheesy, hold-in-your-hand muffin is just the thing to start your day off right and leave you with happy thoughts.  If you have skied at Snowmass, perhaps you’ve had a Quiche Muffin from Paradise Bakery.  I’ve been jonesing for them for a while, since the infamous honeymoon broken ankle incident has curbed my enthusiasm for bone-jolting activities.

I have tried different cheesy muffin recipes, but never found the right combination that resulted in a crusty outside with a gooey, cheesy custard inside.  This recipe is as close as I’ve come to that ideal.  These muffins were just as tasty sitting on our back porch in the midst of spring songbirds as the Paradise Quiche Muffin was while standing on a snow-covered mountain – and perhaps even more so, since I can share this memory with James.  (Yes, I am cheesy too!)

Ingredients (for 12 muffins):

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ~ 6 ounces mild cheddar, shredded (or blend of Monterey Jack and cheddar)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 6 strips of crisp, cooked bacon, chopped
• ~1/8 cup coconut flour
• a couple dashes of onion powder
• a couple dashes of garlic powder
• pinch of nutmeg
• kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375F.  Generously grease 12 muffin cups with butter or coconut oil, or use silicone cups that do not require pre-greasing.**
2. Divide the shredded cheddar and chopped bacon evenly among the muffin cups.
3. Whisk the eggs and cream together.  Add Parmesan cheese, coconut flour, onion powder, garlic powder, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Whisk well to combine.
4. Using a ladle or small measuring cup, add the egg mixture to each muffin cup over the cheese and bacon.
5. Bake at 375 for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until the muffins have risen and are browned on top.  (It is a good idea to turn the pan halfway through cooking.)
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool until muffins can be handled.  Peel off the muffin-cups and enjoy!

**Big shout out to Nom Nom Paleo for recommending the silicone muffin cups, and for the idea of using coconut flour in these muffins!  Thank you!

Know what would go good with Sunday morning muffins…other than Snowmass? Bridge Over Troubled Water (40th Anniversary Edition) . Haven’t picked this up yet but listened to the original vinyl last night. Some of Simon’s best songwriting- “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, “The Boxer” and a song that will always make me smile- “Only Living Boy in New York.” Yeah, you’ve heard it 1000 times…it will hold up for few hundred spins more. Now with a DVD.