savory corn muffins

These things were delicious. I modified the original recipe to make the muffins more moist and less crumbly, because I'm wary of dry cornbread that resembles the centuries-old yellow insulation crumbling inside my bathroom wall. Since I nearly always choose savory over sweet, this is my kind of breakfast muffin, wolfed down at my office desk while I'm barely awake. These would also make a nice brunch, split in half crosswise and topped with poached eggs, with some greens on the side.

adapted from Bon Appétit

(makes about 12 standard size muffins)


1 c all purpose flour
1 c yellow cornmeal
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp Hungarian hot paprika or cayenne pepper
1/4 c chopped fresh chives
1 1/2 c plain yogurt
2 large eggs
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3 Tbsp milk
2/3 c shredded sharp cheddar

Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease your muffin pan(s), and line them with paper cups if you want to save yourself the annoyance of scrubbing crumbs out of 12 individual corners (admittedly, paper-less muffins are prettier and less Kindergarten-looking). Whisk flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and paprika/pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in chives. In another medium bowl whisk yogurt, eggs, melted butter, and milk. Add yogurt mixture and shredded cheese to dry ingredients and stir just until blended.

A note on stirring:
The secret to good muffins is minimal stirring. Doing otherwise will lead to chewy, bouncy, Nerf-ball muffins. Properly stirred muffins should be round and pebbly on top. One indication of over-worked muffin batter is pointy tops on the finished product. Muffin tops like that are as undesirable as muffin tops like this.

Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, filling them just to the top. If you have any empty cups leftover, fill them about halfway with water.

Bake for about 20 minutes. Muffins should be puffed and golden, and a tester inserted into the center should come out clean. Let muffins cool in pans, on a rack if you have one. Be patient! They'll fall apart if you remove them too soon.