DALE COUNTY – Spicy Cornbread Muffins

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1/2 onion
1-2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can Mexicorn, drained
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray. In a medium saute pan, over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter has melted, add onions and peppers and saute until soft, about four minutes. Season with salt to taste. Stir in corn and cook until heated through. Set aside to cool.

Melt remaining butter in a small pan over low heat and, once melted, remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, add buttermilk and eggs, whisking lightly until combined. Using the well method, add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together until combined. Add the sautéed vegetables with the melted butter and shredded cheese; continue to fold. The batter will be thick.

Place equal amounts of batter in each muffin tin. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes on wire rack before serving.
-Debbie Baker, Dale County