Jalapeno Corn Bread Muffins

May 9, 2011 · 0 comments

Adapted from The Essential New York Times Cookbook

These decadent muffins go perfectly with a pot of chili or black bean soup. They are moist yet perfectly crumbly. Please note they need not be spicy to be terrific. I’ve indicated some adjustments in the tips section below for the spice-averse.

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup oat bran flour (see tips)
1 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/3 cup light sour cream
1/3 cup regular sour cream
2/3 cup 2% milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup finely diced jalapeno pepper, seeds removed
1/3 cup finely diced scallions
1/3 cup frozen corn kernels
1-1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine flours, cornmeal, baking powder, red pepper flakes, salt and cumin. Mix until blended. In a smaller bowl, whisk together sour cream and milk. Stir in melted butter and egg, then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until fully combined. Add the jalapeno pepper, scallions, corn and cheese. Mix thoroughly.
Coat the cups of a muffin tin liberally with nonstick cooking spray. If you are using a standard muffin tin, you will get 8 muffins. If you use a popover tin as I did, you will get 6 large muffins. Drop the batter into each cup. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Serve fresh from the oven, piping hot.
Quick Tips
1. I chose to bake these muffins in a popover tin because I wanted to make exactly six (somewhat large) muffins. If you’d prefer a regular-sized muffin, use a standard 1/2 cup muffin tin and fill 8 cups evenly.
2. I included the original amounts for the spicy bits up top. If you want a moist and cheesey muffin that has no bite, adjust the crushed red pepper flakes to 1/2 teaspoon and use 1 tablespoon chopped fresh jalapeno – no seeds!
3. If you don’t have oat bran flour on hand, try experimenting with whole wheat flour or whatever else you have. The original recipe called for a full cup of all-purpose flour, so barring any alternative flour you can always default to that.

Preparation time: 20 minute(s)

Cooking time: 20 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 6 – 8

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