Name: Savory Corn Muffins with Cheddar and Scallions
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients: 2 cups (10 ounces/283 grams) cornmeal; 1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 1/4 teaspoons salt; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard; Pinch cayenne pepper; 1 1/4 cups whole milk; 1 cup sour cream; 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly; 3 tablespoons sugar; 6 ounces (170 grams) cheddar cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups); 2 large eggs, beaten; 5 scallions, sliced thin

Why This Recipe Works

For a corn muffin with great cornmeal flavor and proper muffin structure, we used a ratio of 2 parts cornmeal to 1 part flour. We ditched the copious amount of sugar found in most recipes for a truly savory muffin. To help make up for the moisture that sugar normally provides, we used a mix of milk, butter, and sour cream for the right amount of water and fat. Finally, in order to get extra liquid into the batter, we precooked a portion of the cornmeal with additional milk to make a polenta-like porridge. By hydrating and gelling the starch in the cornmeal, we trapped free water and produced a supermoist muffin.

Before You Begin

We developed this recipe with our preferred cornmeal, Arrowhead Mills Organic Yellow Cornmeal. Other cornmeals will work in the recipe, but don’t use coarse-ground or white cornmeal.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 12-cup muffin tin. Whisk 1 1/2 cups cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper, mustard, and cayenne together in medium bowl.

Combine milk and remaining 1/2 cup cornmeal in large bowl. Microwave milk-cornmeal mixture for 1 1/2 minutes. Whisk thoroughly and continue to microwave, whisking every 30 seconds, until thickened to batter-like consistency (whisk will leave channel in bottom of bowl that slowly fills in), 1 to 3 minutes longer. Whisk in sour cream, melted butter, and sugar until combined. Whisk in cheddar, eggs, and scallions until combined. Fold in flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Using portion scoop or large spoon, divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups (about 1/2 cup batter per cup; batter will mound slightly above rim).

Bake until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 13 to 17 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking. Let muffins cool in muffin tin on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from muffin tin and let cool 5 minutes longer. Serve warm.