Makes 12

For a big cheese presence, shred the Parmesan on the large holes of a box grater. Use both the white and green parts of the scallions. If you prefer, use an equal amount of shredded cheddar in place of the blue cheese.

1. Adjust rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat regular 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne, and pepper together in large bowl. Mix in blue cheese and scallions, breaking up any clumps, until cheese is coated with flour. Whisk milk, butter, egg, and sour cream together in medium bowl. Using rubber spatula, gently fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined (batter will be heavy and thick). Divide batter among muffin cups. Sprinkle Parmesan over batter in each cup.

3. Bake until light golden brown and toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out with a few crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Run knife around muffins to loosen, invert pan, and remove muffins. Cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Test Kitchen Discoveries

• Follow basic muffin-making protocol. Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ingredients in another, and finally fold the ingredients together until just combined--sprays of unincorporated flour should be visible.
• Add sour cream to make the muffins dense and moist. As a bonus, the tanginess of the sour cream also accents the flavor of the cheese.
• The combination of pungent blue cheese and nutty Parmesan adds deep flavor. Cayenne pepper and scallions cut through the cheeses�?richness.