Cornmeal Muffins

Cornmeal Muffins
From Pinecreek Honey

Try these slightly sweet, moist muffins with spareribs or with your morning coffee. For a muffin with a little more substance try 1 cup of fine cornmeal with 1/2 cup of coarse cornmeal.

This recipe only uses honey for sweetener; no added sugar.

FMM: I made these using just 1/2 cup honey, but next time may try the 3/4 cup. If you like cornmeal muffins on the sweet side, use the full 3/4 cup. The batter was thin and I had to use a ladle to put it in the muffin cups. For 12 muffins, the batter came up to the top of the muffin cups. I did not use paper liners. They had a nice taste and were not heavy. They did crumble a bit when you ate them. This may be a tendency with muffins made with cornmeal or it may be because I used less honey.

The next time I made them, I used butter instead of oil. I did some research and it is advised that you use more butter: for 1/2 cup of oil, use 2/3 cup of melted butter, and reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe, the buttermilk to 2/3 cup. Butter has water in it whereas oil does not. I also used the full 3/4 cup of honey for more honey flavor. The batter seemed thicker even just after mixing, but definitely after letting rest. Used a big spoon and just scooped it in the tin. They rose really high, some a little lopsided. They tilted toward the back of the oven. Next time, after 5 minutes rotate front to back. They were a little drier than I hoped, and they were very browned around the sides. I baked them for 18 minutes and I think were overbaked, check after 15 minutes next time. May want to use half butter, half oil to keep them moister, and the full 3/4 cup buttermilk. Also they have more cornmeal than flour in them, which will make them drier. They did not crumble like the original recipe did. I could definitely taste the honey in this batch, but perhaps it was too much.

Next time I make them, use:
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1 1/4 cups cornmeal
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/3 cup butter
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- try whipping the eggs whites and folding in once batter is mixed
- cover and let batter rest for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight
- preheat oven to 425F, immediately turn down to 350F once put muffins in, rotate pan front to back after 5 minutes
- check with toothpick after 12 - 15 minutes

3/4 cup honey (cut back to 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup canola oil (sub 2/3 cup butter?)
2 large eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
3/4 cup buttermilk (sub 2/3 cup?, or use 3/4 cup)
paper muffin cups

Preheat convection oven 325F or regular oven to 350F [skip this for now - will rest batter].

In a food processor, blend the honey and canola oil, and then pulse in the eggs. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. [I just whisk this together in the bowl.]

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cornmeal. Add this mixture gradually to the large bowl while alternately adding the buttermilk. Blend with a wooden spoon until muffin mix is just combined.

[Let batter sit for at least 1 hour and preferably overnight. This worked well. The batter thickened and lightened up a lot.
See Why Rest Muffin Batter Overnight.]

[Preheat oven to 425F.]

Spoon evenly into muffin cup lined muffin tray.

[Place in oven and immediately turn the oven down to 350F. This worked well, the muffins rose quite high but leaned toward the back of the oven. I turned them after 10 minutes. Turn every 5 minutes.]

Bake for 22-25 minutes [or until a toothpick comes out clean. Start checking after 12 to 15 minutes. I baked mine for 18 minutes and they were dry].

Makes 12 muffins