What's Baking: Buttermilk Cornbread Muffins

Trying times call for comforting food, and these Buttermilk Cornbread Muffins fit the bill perfectly. 

It typically takes me a little longer to get back into the blogging groove after the holidays, but this year it's been harder than usual.

Let's just say that when you're worried about the potential end of democracy in your country, whether or not you should be stockpiling food, and the general loss of decency and civility in both politics and everyday life, writing a little post about something I cooked seems just a tad inconsequential.

I spent the day after the inauguration at the Women's March On Chicago. It felt good to be part of such a large group of like-minded people. I nearly cried at the sight of so many people streaming in to gather together to fight the disastrous policies of this administration. Some signs were funny; others were poignant. I left the march feeling uplifted that we were not alone, and there are plenty of decent people left in this world who care about the future of this country.

And then Monday happened.
And Tuesday.
And fast forward to Friday.

It seriously frightens me to think where this country is headed and who is pulling all the strings. I prefer the America that is inclusive. That cares about the environment. That has empathy. That is open to immigrants and the diversity of experience they bring to this country. That supports the marriages of my gay and lesbian friends. That doesn't discriminate based on religion or ethnicity or gender identity or sexual orientation. That doesn't mock others. That gives a woman the right to control her own reproductive organs. That makes everyone's ability to exercise their right to vote easier, not harder. That worries over gun violence in this country. That wants to help people rather than hurt people. That upholds the separation between church and state. That doesn't value money over human life. That provides healthcare to those who need it. That values science. That values public education. That rewards people for the skills they have, not the people they know. That thinks for the future and not just the present. I want the America I grew up in and has provided me with so much.

The long and short of it is, I'm worried. And I'm not sure what to do about it, other than resist and protest in whatever way I can, whether small or large. 

And in the meantime, I can't let myself drown in fear. And that's where I hope this blog can come in this year. I've always retreated to the kitchen when I need a break from the stresses of life. The meditation of baking is often my solace when I'm overcome with emotion or feeling stagnated. So, today, I return to the kitchen to bake. And roast. And mix. And stir. And find a way to have hope for the future.

Buttermilk Cornbread Muffins (printer-friendly version)

makes 12 muffins

1 cup cornmeal

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper liners or spray each cup generously with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, add together the cornmeal and buttermilk. Let sit for 5 minutes.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, and sugar. 

4. Add the egg and olive oil to the bowl with the cornmeal and buttermilk. Stir to combine. 

5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and stir until just combined. Gently stir in the frozen corn kernels. Distribute the batter evenly into the 12 prepped muffin cups. (Each cup should be about 3/4 full.)

6. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes in the tin. Serve warm or re-heat before serving.

What's Baking: Jalapeño-Cheddar Cornbread Muffins

If you give a mouse a bowl of chili, it's going to want a cornbread muffin. And if you give it a plain cornbread muffin, it's going to want a jalapeño-cheddar cornbread muffin. I think that's how the story goes. Or, at least, it is if you change "a mouse" to "me," anyway.

Since we were unsure of exactly how many people were coming to our potluck this past Sunday, I decided to make two batches of cornbread muffins. Yesterday, I shared the recipe I used to make plain cornbread muffins (with maple butter), so today I am sharing my second batch: cornbread muffins flavored with jalapeño peppers and cheddar cheese. (Spicy and savory, yum.)

At the end of the day, my cornbread muffin supply was decimated, and of the leftover muffins, only a a couple of jalapeño-cheddar ones remained. I guess that means they were quite delicious!

Jalapeño-Cheddar Cornbread Muffins (printer-friendly version)

makes 12 muffins

1 cup medium-ground yellow cornmeal
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup buttermilk (plus 2-3 additional tablespoons, if necessary)
2 large eggs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon finely minced jalapeño pepper (ribs and seeds removed)

1. To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly oil a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter. Stir in the frozen corn kernels, shredded cheese, and minced jalapeño pepper. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated. Do not overmix! If the mixture is too dry, stir in additional buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated. The batter will be thick.
3. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. The muffins will be light golden in color. Remove from the oven and cool the muffins on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Store any leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature.

What's Baking: Cornbread Muffins with Maple Butter

A huge pot of chili definitely calls for a side of cornbread muffins. For our Sunday potluck, I made two dozen muffins -- one dozen was plain cornbread and the other was flavored with jalapeños and cheddar cheese.

I jazzed up the "plain" cornbread muffins with the addition of whole corn kernels. But the real highlight was the maple butter served on the side. I'm not talking about the confection made purely from maple syrup (sometimes also referred to maple cream). Instead, this is a simpler concoction made by beating maple syrup into softened butter.

The maple butter is lightly-flavored with maple, but none the less delicious. One of our friends might've even frosted the top of an entire cornbread muffin with the stuff. No judgement here.

Cornbread Muffins with Maple Butter (printer-friendly version)

makes 12 muffins

For the maple butter:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks or 12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
3 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
pinch fine sea salt

For the cornbread muffins:
1 cup medium-ground yellow cornmeal
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

1. To make the maple butter, add the softened butter to the bowl of an electric mixer with the beater attached and beat until light and fluffy. Add the maple syrup and a pinch of salt and continue beating until fully incorporated. Spoon the butter into a serving dish, cover, and refrigerate. Let the butter come to room temperature before serving.
2. To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly oil a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until almost completely incorporated. Then stir in the frozen corn kernels. Do not overmix!
4. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. The muffins will be light golden in color. Remove from the oven and cool the muffins on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve with maple butter. Store any leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature.

(adapted from this Epicurious recipe)

What's For Dinner: Cornbread Chili Bake

Whenever I make chili, I tend to make a ton of it. So, sure, I could eat a bowl of chili for lunch and dinner until it's gone, or I could use it another recipe, and pretend it's a whole new thing. Cassie at Back to Her Roots posted a recipe for a chili-cheese bake recently, and I thought I'd give it a whirl myself, given I had a whole lot of chili on hand again. I changed things up a bit by opting for a cornbread topper rather than Cassie's flaxbread version. If you're feeling extra decadent, add a layer of shredded cheese over the chili before covering it with the flaxbread batter.

Cornbread Chili Bake (printer-friendly version)
makes 6-8 servings

3-4 cups leftover chili, heated
1 1/4 cups cornmeal
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey

1 large egg, beaten

1 1/4 cups organic skim milk
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon the heated leftover chili into the bottom of the dish.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Stir in the honey, beaten egg, skim milk, and canola oil.
5. Stir in the chopped cilantro.
6. Spoon the cornmeal mixture evenly over top the chili layer.
7. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown and springs back when touched. [Note: if you don't preheat your chili, first bring it to room temperature, and then increase the cooking time to 45-50 minutes.]
8. Let it cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.

What's Baking: Golden Cornbread

Yesterday I made slow-cooker black bean and sweet potato chili for dinner (recipe later this week), and of course I had to serve cornbread on the side. Though in the past I've relied on packaged cornbread mixes, I decided to make a batch from scratch this time around. It was really quite simple, and the result tasted just as good as (dare I say even better than?!) the stuff you can make from a box. Plus, it's nice to know (and control the amount of) every ingredient that went into my batch of golden cornbread.

Golden Cornbread (printer-friendly version)
makes 12 servings

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1 egg (preferably from pastured hens)
1 cup organic skim milk
1/4 cup canola (or vegetable) oil

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spray an 8" square baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, sift together the flours, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugars, egg, milk, and oil.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until ingredients are evenly combined. Do not over-stir.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
7. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
8. Let cool for a few minutes on a wire rack before serving.

What's Baking: Golden Cornbread

Admittedly, in the past we've usually reached for a boxed mix when making cornbread. Well, that doesn't sound all that less processed, now does it? For this chili accompaniment, I opted to make the cornbread from scratch. No more lard-in-a-box cornbread for this girl!

Golden Cornbread (printer-friendly version)

makes 12 servings

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup raw sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder

1 egg

1 cup organic skim milk

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Stir together with a whisk.

3. Stir in the egg, milk, and melted butter. Continue stirring until all ingredients are evenly combined.

4. Spray an 8" square glass baking dish with cooking spray. Pour the batter into the dish.

5. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean.

(adapted from this recipe)

P.S., Tomorrow is the last day to vote for my Project Food Blog, Challenge #2 entry. You can vote for me here. Thanks!