Creamy Red Pepper and Garlic Herb Egg Muffins recipe

Use the preheated oven only once it has fully reached temperature, and coat the muffin tin right into the corners so the egg mixture does not catch on the edges. Any bare spots can make the muffins stick as they set.

Keep the heat at medium rather than high so the pepper softens without browning; you want it bright and slightly yielding, not caramelised or watery. If it starts to colour too quickly, move the pan off the heat for a moment.

Whisk just until the eggs look uniform and no long strands of white remain, then stop so the mixture stays light rather than frothy. The cheese should be evenly loosened through the eggs without leaving thick lumps.

Let the pepper cool briefly before folding it in, otherwise it can start to warm the eggs and make the mixture patchy. Distribute the pieces through the bowl with a few gentle turns so every muffin gets both cheese and pepper.

Fill each hole to about the same level, leaving a little room at the top for the egg mixture to rise without spilling over. A jug or ladle makes cleaner portions than spooning straight from the bowl.

Start checking at 15 minutes: the centres should look just set with no wet sheen, and the tops should be pale gold rather than deeply coloured. If the middles still wobble like custard, give them a couple more minutes instead of overbaking the tops.

Leave them in the tin long enough for the edges to firm up, or they may tear when lifted out. A gentle run around each muffin with a thin knife helps release them cleanly without breaking the base.