Cornbread Muffins Recipe
Why it works
- When medium-strength flour is added to the batter, it has a structure containing gluten, giving it a light and soft cake-like texture.
- Canned creamed corn moisturizes and enhances the flavor of buttery corn.
- Sour cream adds moisture and a mild, pungent feel that balances the overall flavor of the bread.
- Mixing the wet and dry ingredients separately first ensures that the ingredients are perfectly combined without over-mixing the batter.
There are a few things I’m looking for regarding pan de elote. It cannot be dried. You need soft, non-gritty bread crumbs. I really like the taste of corn. These pan de elote muffins meet all these requirements. They are tender, almost cake-like, and have a rich butter corn flavor, thanks to the addition of creamed corn directly from the can.
To make this recipe, you need to buy finely ground corn meal or medium ground corn meal. This gives you cake-like consistency. Coarse corn meal tends to produce coarser and more brittle corn bread. That said, cornmeal should not be a fine powder. Unfortunately, not all brands specify a grind size. This varies from brand to brand, but Quaker and Bob’s Red Mill have proven to be reliable mass market options. To give the muffins a little more structure and further limit their tendency to crumble, I also stir some flour into the mix. In addition to the cream corn, add a little sour cream to the batter. This adds creaminess and gives you a little welcome tongue.
This recipe works fine out of the box, but it’s also a good base for add-ins. Freely stir flavors and mixins as long as they are low in moisture and low in acidity, as the addition of high moisture or highly acidic ingredients can adversely affect the structure and texture of the muffins. Some of my favorite additions are brown butter and sage, chopped piminent and grated cheddar cheese, and thinly sliced green onions. A description of these variations can be found in the recipe’s notes section.
I tested several batches of this recipe using a paper cupcake liner, and it wasn’t a complete disaster, but a fair amount of corn bread was on the liner when they were stripped. It has adhered. I grease a non-stick or aluminum muffin pan and pour the batter straight. The muffin came out easily with the help of a small offset spatula and left it in a pretty good shape to wash the can.
We also ran some tests and dialed the highest baking temperature. When baked at 425 ° F (220 ° C), the recipe produced muffins with golden bottoms and sides and slightly higher ridges. However, the top was more cracked than the muffins baked at 350 ° F (177 ° C). Lower temperatures also brought about softer bread crumbs. It’s up to you to decide which temperature to use. This is a personal phone that depends on whether you prioritize browning or softness. That’s what the recipe below requires, as more people voted for hotter batches when the group tasted in the Serious Eats test kitchen. Also, don’t be surprised by the amount of batter that goes into each mold. The muffins will rise and swell, but they will not spread laterally, so they should be quite full.
These cornbread muffins are best served with freshly baked, warm, softened butter (honey is not damaged). However, if you have something left, you can always freeze it later. Place the muffins in an airtight, resealable plastic bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw completely at room temperature, wrap in aluminum foil (to prevent drying), and bake at 350 ° F until warm. Alternatively, wrap the muffins in a damp paper towel and microwave them every 15 seconds until they warm up.
I love to serve these muffins with chili, barbecue meat, stewed beans and creamy chicken soup. The sunny yellow cornbread muffins are perfect for breakfast. All can be eaten alone or with larger meals such as sausages and eggs.