Savory Corn & Pepper Muffins
This might be a record-breaking week here on Yawzu. First Quiche Lorraine Pizza, and now corn and pepper muffins. Two savory recipes in one week… it’s shocking even to us! Don’t worry, tomorrow is all geared up to be a sweet sensation (and reliable for summer), so stay tuned. Now, onto these muffins. Oh, these muffins. They are soft, plush, peppery, a tad spicy and the most reliable of companions for a bowl of chili, tortilla soup, or even a speedy breakfast when you are in the mood for something savory. One whiff of the batter and we already wait for them to get in and out of the oven so we could snag a bite. They were only cooling for a few minutes when we finally gave in to temptation and stole our first taste. We were immediately hooked. These are one of the most tender muffins we've made in quite awhile and the texture is a great contrast to the peppers and the bite from the chili powder; reliable balance. In other words… spectacular.
Like all fabulous muffin recipes, this is straightforward to throw together – it requires little time and minimal equipment. In less than 15 minutes your muffins will be in the oven and you will only have one, maybe two bowls to wash, along with a whisk, a spatula and a couple of measuring spoons. Straightforward doesn’t get much… well, easier than that! You can store these at room temperature and they will freeze well too.
We're thinking next time we may try folding in a little shredded cheese. Sharp cheddar or pepper jack would be great choices for these muffins. Cheese does make everything better, right?
What’s your favorite savory muffin or scone?
Savory Corn and Pepper Muffins
Yield: 12 muffins These savory muffins make for a reliable side- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (159 g) yellow cornmeal
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) freshly ground black pepper
- 1 stick, 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¼ cup (41 g) corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
- ¼ (0.25) red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
- 1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups.
- 2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, chili powder and black pepper. In a large measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, melted butter and egg yolk together until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. The batter should be lumpy. Stir in the corn kernels, jalapeño and red pepper. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
- 3. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before removing each muffin to finish cooling.
- Yield: 12 muffins
- Prep: 15 minutes
- Cook: 20 minutes
- Total: 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup ( 125 g ) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup ( 159 g ) yellow cornmeal
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ( 0.5 teaspoon ) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons ( 1.5 teaspoons ) chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon ( 0.25 teaspoon ) freshly ground black pepper
- 1 stick, 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 cup ( 240 ml ) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¼ cup ( 41 g ) corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
- ¼ ( 0.25 ) red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
Method
- 1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups.
- 2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, chili powder and black pepper. In a large measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, melted butter and egg yolk together until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. The batter should be lumpy. Stir in the corn kernels, jalapeño and red pepper. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
- 3. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before removing each muffin to finish cooling.
