Blueberry and Cheddar Cornmeal Mini-Muffins

The temptation was there.  Blueberries, finally 2 for $3.00.  They have come down in price as far as they will probably go this season.  Not that I didn't pay more for them a few weeks ago to make that incredible Fresh Blueberry Pie.  You made it, didn't you? Well, I know some of you did.  Okay, here's my corn muffin recipe tweaked just a little bit to include blueberries and a little zip from some cheddar cheese. I used sharp white cheddar, but you can use the orange cheddar. This recipe calls for buttermilk, and I don't know about you but I never, repeat, never have buttermilk in the house. If you have a recipe that calls for buttermilk, like this one, measure 1 1/2 Tbs. of cider vinegar into a measuring cup and add milk to measure one cup.  Let it stand for a few minutes. It actually smells like buttermilk, and you will never notice the difference in your recipe. Of note, I only use this method for baking. If you're making a soup that calls for buttermilk, buy the real thing.

BLUEBERRY AND CHEDDAR CORNMEAL MINI-MUFFINS

1 stick of butter

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup coarse or medium yellow cornmeal

1 cup sifted flour

1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2/3 cup blueberries, rinsed and dried

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Melt the butter and pour into a large mixing bowl. Let it cool for a few minutes, and then add the two eggs, beating well. Stir in the sugar, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. Stir in the cornmeal, flour, and cheese.  Fold in the berries. Coat a mini muffin pan with cooking spray, and fill each mini-muffin cup with about a quarter of a cup of batter, making sure you've got at least two berries in each muffin.  The batter should come to the top of the cup for a nice full-sized muffin. Do not use paper liners.  Bake for about 13 to 14 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 30 mini muffins.  These muffins are so moist with the addition of the blueberries and cheese and the slightly crunchy texture of the cornmeal, you won't need butter. Just pop the damn thing in your mouth and get over it.

Cheddar and Jalapeno Corn Muffins

The decision is final, at least for two of the items to serve on Superbowl Sunday.  Chili and Cornbread. But since I didn't have all the ingredients for the chili at this very moment, I decided to make the corn muffins and test them out instead. Oh, are they good!!! Here's the recipe....

CHEDDAR AND JALAPENO CORN MUFFINS

1 stick of butter

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup coarse or medium yellow cornmeal

1 cup flour

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

2 Tbs. diced jalapenos (I buy a jar already to rock)

Melt the butter in the microwave in a large microwavable bowl. Let it cool for a few minutes, and then add the eggs, beating well. Stir in the sugar, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. (See my tip below for making a great substitute for buttermilk.)  Stir in the cornmeal, flour, cheese and jalapenos. Save a few sprinklings of cheese for the tops of the muffins.

Evenly distribute the batter among 12 muffin cups that have been coated with cooking spray. Don't use paper muffin liners. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 20 to 23 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Run a knife around the sides of the muffins to remove from pans and cool on a rack.

Great Tip: For recipes like this that call for buttermilk, and who has buttermilk just hanging around in their refrigerator, measure 1 1/2 Tbs. cider vinegar into a measuring cup and add enough milk to make 1 cup. Let this stand for a few minutes while you're preparing the muffins, and proceed with the recipe. It actually smells like buttermilk, and you will never notice the difference in your recipe. This method works well for things like these muffins. I have tried this with soup recipes that call for larger amounts of buttermilk and failed miserably!!! For soups and sauces that call for buttermilk, I would stick with the real thing, but for these muffins this substitution works beautifully!