Brie and Cranberry Muffins with Black Pepper

Brie and cranberry are one of those elemental pairings: complementary perfection between the earthy creaminess of the brie and the sweet-tart cranberries. These muffins, on the savory side but only just, are made for using up leftover cranberry sauce. But if you don't have any, you can make a quick batch, instructions included below.

We've already discussed how muffins are not only destined for sweetness. Well, as if we needed it (right?), here is more proof. These brie and cranberry muffins are right on the cusp between sweet and savory, skewing slightly savory on account of the brie. The sweet-tart cranberries are a perfect counterpoint to the brie, and the whole thing just tastes like cozy wintertime. Eat them in the morning, have them as a snack, serve them in a buffet lineup and knock the socks off your guests.

Also? They are easy, just wet ingredients into dry and you're pretty much done. Like all muffins, these guys don't want to be overmixed. It's best to mix them by hand until all the dry ingredients are just moistened. The brie, which is cubed while cold, gets tossed in with the dry ingredients so that it's evenly distributed. The cranberry sauce gets dolloped on after half the batter's in each cup, then covered up with more batter.

For this recipe, which makes a dozen muffins, you only need about ¼ cup of cranberry sauce. If you don't have leftover cranberry sauce (or canned sauce), you can easily make a batch, though you'll have extra leftover after filling the muffins. (Psst, it's really good in lieu of lingonberry jam with Swedish meatballs.) And don't forget the freshly cracked black pepper, it makes everything sing. Five or six good grinds of it and you should have just the contrasting note you need.