Cheddar Cornbread Muffins
Cornbread has never been high on my baking to do list. There’s nothing glamorous or cute or unusually tempting about cornbread. It’s yellowy and corny and bready…not exactly the kind of adjectives that entice me to make something.
Truthfully, I’ve always treated cornbread as the neglected step sister of chili. You know what I mean. You have to keep it around because it’s family, but nobody is really thrilled by it’s presence.
Until now.
Corn bread has just been Cinderella’d. (Can we please make this phrase popular? As in..”my boring wardrobe is totally the bomb now!” It’s been Cinderella’d! No? Too weird? Ok then.)
Chili bowls everywhere better be ready to take a back seat, because this corn bread isn’t content to play obligatory side kick any longer. These corn bread muffins want to be the star. They want to make a stunning entrance at the ball, steal all of the Prince’s attention, and then, in a moment of pure grace, save their wretched step sisters from a lifetime of slave labor in their kingdom. Or maybe they just want to be loved for the truly delightful, complimentary side dish they are. That’s not nearly as exciting as the first option, but whatever.
Show some lovin to your cornbread. Put the box of Jiffy away (I know, I’m always tempted too, but seriously, PUT IT DOWN!). Play the fairy god mother for a day and dress up your cornbread with some brown sugar and shredded cheddar cheese. But be sure to eat them before midnight or they’ll turn into dry, tasteless lumps!
Sorry, that’s a lie. These actually keep for several days in an airtight container, but that’s not nearly as fun to say.
Cheddar Corn Bread Muffins
Yield: 12 muffins
Recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup finely ground cornmeal
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup heavy cream or half and half
2 eggs
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:ย
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease a standard size muffin tin with shortening or spray.
2. In a small bowl whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
3. Add the eggs, butter, milk, and cream and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Stir in cheddar cheese.
4. Spoon batter into muffin cups until about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Serve with chili, or just a good hunk of butter.