Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins
from https://southerndiscourse.com/

Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins are the perfect way to round out almost any meal with a little pizzazz! This easy to follow cornbread recipe has plenty of cheesy goodness, a hint of sweetness & just the right amount of jalapeno kick all baked right into moist tender, buttermilk cornbread. Soups, chilis and family style meals will never be lonely again!

Don’t skip the step of preheating the muffin tin with oil in each muffin cup when preheating the oven. That heated oil will sizzle when the cornbread batter hits it, cooking the bread and creating that delicious crisp edge that we all love!

FMM: These are pretty good. I made 1/2 batch using 1/2 jalapeno and did not find them spicy hot at all - just a slight heat in the background. I thought the muffins could use a bit more sugar as an accent to the jalapeno, perhaps double.

Note: Homemade self rising flour: for every 1 cup of flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon table salt.

1 C enriched yellow cornmeal
1.25 C self rising flour
3 tablespoon sugar
4 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 C buttermilk
2 large eggs, beaten
¼ C vegetable oil (+ 12 teaspoon for muffin tin)
2 C grated cheddar cheese, (reserving a little to top muffins with)
⅓ C diced fresh jalapenos (about 1 ½ - 2 jalapenos)

Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to the bottom of each cup of the muffin tin. Put tin in oven to preheat tin and oil while oven also preheats.

In a large mixing bowl, use a fork mix together the dry ingredients- cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt. Set aside.

In a large measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and vegetable oil. Use the fork to mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients until the batter is mostly smooth. Fold in all but a small handful of grated cheddar and all jalapenos.

Remove tin from oven. Carefully tilt in a circular motion to cover lower sides of muffin cups with oil. Spoon batter into muffins into cups. (Hot oil should sizzle.) Fill cups almost completely full with batter. Top with leftover cheese.

Place in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes before removing muffins from tin.

Servings: 12 muffins