Cheesy cornbread muffins recipe
These savoury muffins work really well as an easy snack and are also really delicious served warm for brunch/ lunch. Just add some ham, eggs and/or grilled tomatoes with some chipotle mayonnaise on the side.
This recipe makes 12–18 muffins, depending on the size you make.
Tip: for a gluten-free version, use gluten-free plain (all-purpose) flour and baking powder. For dairy-free, swap the milk for a dairy-free alternative such as oat, soya or any nut milk. As a substitute for buttermilk, stir 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white wine vinegar into your chosen dairy-free milk and leave it to sit for about 10 minutes until it thickens and looks like it’s curdled slightly. Use in the recipe as below. Both the Cheddar and feta can be substituted for vegan/dairy-free alternatives. It’s amazing what’s available in the shops when you look around.
For an upgrade, 50g/1¾ oz finely chopped ham, salami or chorizo can be mixed into the mixture before baking. For a touch of spice, add a finely chopped red or green chilli.
Ingredients
- 150 ml milk
- 200 ml buttermilk
- 3 eggs
- 165 g sweetcorn (tinned is perfect)
- 3 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
- 75 ml rapeseed (canola) or olive oil
- 175 g fine polenta (cornmeal)
- 100 g plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 50 g Cheddar, grated
- 50 g feta, crumbled
- 1 pinch flaked sea salt
Details
- Cuisine: British
- Recipe Type: Muffins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 20 mins
- Cooking Time: 25 mins
- Serves: 12
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4. Line a muffin tin with baking parchment or silicone cases. Larger ‘tulip’ paper cases will give you 12, but standard muffin cases will make up to 18 cooked muffins.
- Put the milk, buttermilk, eggs, sweetcorn, spring onions and oil in a bowl and mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the polenta, flour, baking powder, cheeses and a pinch of salt.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dried and mix briefly to just combine. Avoid over-mixing as this will give you more dense muffins when cooked. Divide between muffin tins (for ease use an ice cream scoop).
- Bake for 18–25 minutes, depending on their size, until they are light golden brown and just firm to touch in the middle.
- Cool in the tins for 10 minutes before cooling on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Eat within a couple of days and freeze any left over. Defrost at room temperature or warm gently in the microwave or oven.
This recipe is from The Flexible Family Cookbook by Jo Pratt, £20, Frances Lincoln.
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