Cornbread Muffins or Mexican Cornbread

Serves: 12

Emily

This is as close to Jacques-Imo’s as I can get!

ingredients

Maple butter

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 1/2 Tbs pure maple syrup (preferably grade B)

Muffins

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
5 Tbs unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
1 green onion, chopped
12 cloves garlic (crawfish boiled or roasted)

Mexican Cornbread

2 boxes Jiffy Instant Cornbread Mix
1 small chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red or green pepper
1 can cream corn
1/3 cup mild salsa

directions

For maple butter:

Using electric mixer, beat butter in medium bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in maple syrup until well blended and smooth. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

For muffins:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 12 regular (1/3-cup) muffin cups. Sift cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk and egg in another medium bowl; Saute green onions in butter; whisk in melted butter and onions to buttermilk mixture. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients; stir just until incorporated (do not over mix). Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups. Stick one roasted garlic clove into batter. Bake muffins until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 15 minutes (muffins will be pale). Cool on rack 10 minutes. Spread maple butter heavily over the top while muffins are cooling.

for mexican cornbread:

1
Preheat oven according to Jiffy muffin mix instructions.
2
Chop onion and pepper. Saute briefly on stove top in a little butter.
3
In mixing bowl, mix 1 box muffin mix ACCORDING TO DIRECTIONS ON BOX. Let set for 3 - 4 minutes. Then, add chopped onion/pepper mixture, cream corn, and salsa. Fold together until mixed. Add last box of muffin mix - dry mix ONLY. Fold together until mixed.
4
Grease baking pan. Pour in batter. Bake for 30 minutes. Be sure to test for doneness. Leave in until inserted knife comes out clean.
5
When cooked cornbread comes out of oven, spread a bit of butter or margarine on top and allow to melt. ENJOY!