Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Corniest corn muffins


I love the sunny yellow colour of cornmeal, but I find it ... gritty. I want to like it, so I buy nice stone-ground, organic cornmeal and keep it in my freezer, I save cornmeal recipes, and every once in a while I bake something with it. I never love what I make, but I never hate it either. Then I wait a few months and try again. I like cornmeal best when it has softened up a bit, like in polenta. I love polenta. These muffins? Not so much. They just didn't work for me. I found them quite sweet, so I didn't want to eat them with anything savoury. I thought about putting jam on them, but there were corn kernels and black pepper so that did not appeal. What to do? The usual--I put them in the freezer and have been eating them plain on the mornings when I haven't got time to make a proper breakfast. They're not bad, but it'll be a few months before I bake with cornmeal again. Thanks to Jill of My Next Life for choosing this recipe--she'll have it posted on her site. See all the corn muffins over at Tuesdays with Dorie. Oh, and if you've got a surefire cornmeal recipe, send it my way, please!

15 comments:

Valerie Gamine said...

I'm with you on the whole cornmeal issue. But that muffin looks delicious! Maybe they would be perfect with just some sweet cream butter?
I skipped this one, but I may end up making them since, like you, I have a lot of cornmeal sitting around. :)

Mimi said...

They look oh so delicious. Maybe cream cheese would work with these to cut down the sweet factor.
Mimi

Evelyne CulturEatz said...

I love cornmeal muffins, send them my way. But yeah I rarely cook it though. It is a bit different in texture then what I am used too. Cream cheese is a great idea.

Anonymous said...

Freezing's always good to do with food you're not completely jazzed about. Great post!

Peggy said...

Oh I'm so sorry you did not love them. We did. But you made beautiful muffins. :)

Elaine said...

It looks so pretty with the little kernels of corn...it's too bad you didn't like them, but I think it's great that you are still eating them even when you aren't that excited about them.

Tia said...

too bad they weren't a hit, but good job this week anyhow!
Buttercreambarbie

Judy said...

Maybe cornmeal is an acquired taste. I use a lot of it, for tamale pie, polenta, muffins, cornbread, pancakes. The leftover muffins might work in a stuffing.

TeaLady said...

Oh, too bad about the muffins. But maybe one day you will find just the right recipe.
They look lovely, so glad you made them despite your aversion to cornmeal.

Anonymous said...

Oh but it looks lovely! I'm not big on cornmeal either, which is why I took a pass on these.

Cakelaw said...

Sorry you weren't a fan, but they sure look good - as you say, sunny and happy.

Anonymous said...

I find cornmeal gritty too. Don't seem to see any stone-ground ones in the store... maybe it's because I just keep looking in Bulk Barn, heh!

Valérie said...

Well, they loo good. I'm still experimenting when it comes to cornmeal. I like it in cornbread, provided the meal is soaked overnight. And over English muffins. It sort of worked in biscotti, but was, as you say, a bit gritty. So, still on the fence. But it certainly adds a beautiful colour.

A Canadian Foodie said...

Sweet corn muffin - yuck. There is enough natural sweetness in corn. They look lovely, and I, too, love polenta. When you get those great recipes thrown your way - throw them ours, as always!
:)
valerie

Lisa said...

OK..the black and white puddings look phenomenal, but I'm sorry, I MUST have these tartz! OMG, Mary..it looks so buttery, gooey mapley' amazing. The photos are just mouth watering too. I wish I could grab that first one right out of the photo!