Corn Muffins

For dinner, I had tried out this crockpot chili verde recipe from a Williams & Sonoma book I got last weekend. Normally I don't think you'd eat corn muffins with chili verde but I just got the oddest craving at the very last minute. So I went to my ever-so-trustworthy Cook's Illustrated and quickly found a recipe for these fabulous muffins (Note: You won't be able to access the recipe unless you're a member but I'll be posting it anyways here.) I hadn't any sour cream to spare so I used buttermilk in place and it came out very tender and moist. It has an intense buttery fragrance with a strong corn bread taste that is mildly sweet. I'd have to say I was most pleased.

Corn Muffins

2 cups flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
8 tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup sour cream (or buttermilk)
1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 400F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper cups.

This is quite an easy recipe and since I was rushing I finished making the batter within 10 minutes. You just whisk all the dry ingredients in one bowl and then in a separate bowl whisk the eggs and sugar together until well thick and yellow. Add the melted butter, sour cream or buttermilk, and milk. Combine the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. As with most quick breads, try not to overmix. Mound into your muffin tin and don't bother flattening them out. Mounding messily into the tin makes for wonderfully shaped muffin tops. Bake for about 18 minutes or until muffins are golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let rest in pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. After 5 minutes enjoy warm with a pat of butter.