Heat a small pan and add the chopped bacon lardons. Stirring constantly, cook the bacon for about 4-5 minutes or till nicely browned all over and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl lined with paper towels. Keep aside to cool.
Pre heat the oven at 200 deg C and line a muffin tray.
In a bowl, add all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, cheese, bacon, rosemary, chilli, salt and pepper). Mix well.
In another bowl add the milk, olive oil and egg. Beat very lightly with a fork.
Make a well in the centre of the dry mixture and tip in the egg mixture.
Mix lightly until everything is just moistened; do not overmix.
Add scoops of the mixture to the muffin liners in the tray. I got six.
Place the muffin tray in the centre of the pre heated oven and bake for 20-22 minutes or till golden.
Remove the tray from the oven and transfer the muffins to a wire rack.
Serve warm. Any leftovers are to be cooled completely and stored in an airtight container at room temerature for 2 days (see notes below).
Notes
Mixing-
While mixing the ingredients, make sure that you do not overmix as that will ruin the texture of the muffins. Once the wet ingredients are added to the dry ingredients, just mix gently till everything is just moistened.
Serving-
These bacon, rosemary and cheese muffins taste best when warm and fresh out of the oven. If having later, reheat them in the microwave for a few seconds. They can be had on their own or split and buttered to make them indulgent. These muffins will also be a great accompaniment to a bowl of soup.
Storage-
Store any leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for two days. Make sure they have cooled completely before storing.