Corny Muffins

So I apologize up front about this post. The recipe is nothing terribly interesting. But in my attempt to banish plastic packaging from the house, I should probably document this. The fact that we used Thing 2's nap time to good use is probably more blog worthy than simple corn muffins.

So before going out to our family's house in Long Island for a holiday barbeque, Thing 1 and I made muffins!! He wasn't as interested in the kitchen this time. Maybe it was because there was nothing much else going on and this attempt to occupy his time was more obvious. He always wants to be with me in the kitchen when I need my space and solitude, but when I actually WANT him to be there, it's a lot more difficult.

But nonetheless he helped crack the eggs (There were three casualties, one that fell on the floor, and two that we almost put in the batter before he decided that the recipe needed garlic. Jeez this kid is fast.) And he helped beat them. And when it was time to put the cheese in them he did every one.

I took this recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook (my kitchen staple-thanks Mom!), but it is a typical 'yankee' cornbread' recipe with 4 table spoons of sugar in it!! I never grew up with sweet cornbread. In fact my mother made it with cheese and jarred jalapeno peppers in a cast iron skillet. I didn't have sweet cornbread until I moved to New York. I also substituted the all purpose flour for the brown flour that I have been using. I knew it would yield a heavier muffin but I wasn't sure what it would be like. It turned out very well, the kind of toothy muffin that keeps you full for a while. I also added the cheese in a chunk in the middle (easier) but you could grate it and mix it in the batter. You could also add cooked sausage or even my Mom's jalapenos. The possibilities are endless, sun dried tomatoes, salsa, shredded seasoned chicken or beef. You could almost make this like a tamale muffin! I made a couple without the cheese for Thing 2, but I think he'll like the cheesy ones just as well. He inhaled it!

I must admit too that I shamelessly stole the idea from a guest blogger on another blog I am following, Fed Up With School Lunch. It's a great read and this guest blogger said these stuffed muffins froze really well and you could take them out frozen for a kid's lunch and by lunch time it would have thawed itself. Brilliant.

Corn Muffins with Cheese
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup brown flour (or half white and half whole wheat)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil (I used my peanut oil) Cubes of cheese for stuffing

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. In another bowl mix together all wet ingredients, make sure that the eggs are well beaten and incorporated. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and pour into a lined muffin tin (I use either paper liners or those awesome silicone baking cups). Take a cube of cheese and stick it right in the middle of the muffin. Cook for 12-15 minutes or until golden. This whole recipe takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish. Nice.