Common Cuisine |

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I need to grab breakfast on the run. And the easy solution too often ends up being a pop-tart or coffee-shop pastry, which only serves to set me up for blood sugar crash an hour later. These muffins are a great alternative, and include a little spice to wake you up as well as a dose of protein to feed your brain.

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp pepper
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/3 c buttermilk
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 Tbsp melted buttermilk
• 1 bunch thinly sliced green onions
• 1 cup diced ham or smoked sausage (6 ounces)
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• ½ cup finely diced red pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Coat 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray, or line with muffin cups and spray those.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, pepper, salt and cayenne.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, oil and butter. Stir in green onions.

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix with a rubber spatula just until moistened. Scoop batter into the prepared pan, filling muffin cups very full.

Bake until tops of muffins are browned, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes, then loosen edges with a knife and transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm.

To store, wrap muffins individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze for up to a month. To reheat, remove plastic wrap, cover the muffin with a paper towel and microwave for 30 to 60 seconds.

Makes 12 muffins.