Cornbread and Muffins

Cornbread and Muffins are not only great on their own but make a perfect accompaniment to chili, soup or stew. Quick and easy to make, you can have hot muffins or bread in about 30 minutes.

I like cornbread and muffins.  I love the crispy edges and how the butter soaks into the warm bread or muffin, filling in the little holes between the soft crumbs of the bread.  I like dipping it in my chili or soup.  And when cornbread is a day or two old I like it rewarmed, broken in a bowl, drizzled with a little maple syrup and a splash of milk. Yes, I like cornbread and muffins very much.

My college roommate, Ellen, often ordered a toasted Corn Muffin at a little greasy-spoon cafe not far from the school. I believe the place was called "Sam's".  I can still see the cook splitting and buttering the muffin before placing it on the hot grill to sizzle and toast. For some unremembered reason I never ordered a corn muffin myself but I do remember how good hers looked.  Maybe it was because cornbread and muffins were not a familiar food from my childhood.  

I don't remember Mom making cornbread and if she did it would have been so seldom that it never made it to my memory.  Ha, ha.  But I do know we had cornmeal in the house.  We would occasionally have it cooked as porridge or mush for breakfast.  Sometime during my life I did become acquainted with the tasty cornbread and I have been making it ever since.

I usually make Cornbread in a square pan but today I'm featuring Corn Muffins which, for me, is the same recipe as Cornbread.  You can also add extras to the cornmeal batter such as corn niblets, shredded or diced cheese or diced sweet or hot peppers.  About half a cup of these extras make a tasty addition to the mix. 

Printable recipe at end of post.

Corn Muffins

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar (use ⅓ cup for sweeter muffins)
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup oil
• 1 egg 

How to make it:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Grease 12 muffin cups.  I find butter better than pan spray for these muffins as it gives them a nicer crust.

Blend the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together.  Add the milk, oil and egg.  Using a whisk, beat the mixture until well blended, about 1 minute.  Fill the prepared muffin cups using a quarter cup measure or a no.16 ice cream scoop.  

Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven.  Remove from oven; let cool a few minutes in the pans and then turn out on a cooling rack.  The muffins are best eaten warm from the oven. If not using immediately cool completely and stored in an airtight container. 

Makes 12 muffins.


Double Corn Muffins
Add a ½ cup well drained and patted dry corn niblets to the mixture when you add the milk, oil and egg. Bake as directed above.

Cornbread 
Bake the batter in an 8x8-inch or 9x9-inch greased square pan for 20 to 25 minutes .  Let cool a few minutes and serve from pan while warm.  Store uneaten portion in airtight container.

Cornbread or muffins are so easy to make with just a few ingredients.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  You want to make sure everything is thoroughly combined so there won't be lumps of baking powder not distributed through the mix. 

Add the wet ingredients, the egg, oil and milk and beat with a whisk about a minute until everything is well combined.  

I like to use butter to grease my muffin pan or square pan.  The butter gives a nicer crust than pan spray.

Fill each muffin cup with about ¼ cup of batter.  A no. 16 ice cream scoop holds ¼ cup and make filling the muffin cups an easy task.

Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden in colour.  If making cornbread bake for 20-25 minutes.

Turn the baked muffins on a cooling rack.  Eat them while they are still hot from the oven or cool them completely if storing in an airtight container. Serve cornbread from the pan. 

To serve stored muffins, reheat in the oven or microwave and serve hot with butter, jam or syrup.

Serve piping hot with butter melting through each golden crumb. 

print recipe

Cornbread and Muffins

by Lois Gill March-20-2018

Quick and easy to make, you can have hot muffins or bread in about 30 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar (use ⅓ cup for sweeter muffins)
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup oil
• 1 egg

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 12 muffin cups. I find butter better than pan spray for these muffins as it gives them a nicer crust.

Blend the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Add the milk, oil and egg. Using a whisk, beat the mixture until well blended, about 1 minute. Fill the prepared muffin cups using a quarter cup measure or a no.16 ice cream scoop.

Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from oven; let cool a few minutes in the pans and then turn out on a cooling rack. The muffins are best eaten warm from the oven. If not using immediately cool completely and stored in an airtight container.

Makes 12 muffins.


Double Corn Muffins
Add a ½ cup well drained and patted dry corn niblets to the mixture when you add the milk, oil and egg. Bake as directed above.

Cornbread Bake the batter in an 8x8-inch or 9x9-inch greased square pan for 20 to 25 minutes . Let cool a few minutes and serve from pan while warm. Store uneaten portion in airtight container.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 25 mins Total time: 35 mins Yield: 1 8 or 9-inch cornbread or 12 muffins