Cheesy Cornbread Muffins With Hot Honey Butter

Cheesy Cornbread Muffins With Hot Honey Butter

Smoky chipotle takes these muffins into savory territory, but this recipe can be used purely as a blueprint: Want them a bit sweeter? Lose the minced chipotle chiles, and increase the sugar by a couple of tablespoons. Need them to hold up to a heavily spiced pot of chili? Double the chipotles en adobo, add 1/4 cup minced red onion and a dash of ground cumin, onion powder or garlic, perhaps. Whatever you add, don’t overmix: Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined (a few lumps are O.K.) before folding in the cheese for muffins that are rich but not dense.
  • Total:
  • Serves: 12 persons

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the hot honey butter: In a small bowl, stir 1/2 cup/1 stick softened butter with the honey and chipotle en adobo sauce. Refrigerate while muffins bake.
  2. Step 2

    Heat the oven to 400 degrees, and generously grease the cups of a 12-cup muffin tin.
  3. Step 3

    In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pepper and salt.
  4. Step 4

    In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 1/2 cup/1 stick softened butter over low heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, sour cream, eggs, melted butter and the minced chipotle chiles, if using.
  5. Step 5

    Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir using a rubber spatula until almost combined but still a little lumpy. Fold in the Cheddar and scallions, and stir until just combined.
  6. Step 6

    Transfer the muffin batter in 1/4-cup portions to the prepared muffin tin. Top each muffin with a jalapeño slice, if desired, and bake until the tops are golden and the muffins are cooked through, about 18 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in the muffin tins before carefully transferring to a wire rack, running a knife around the rims to release the muffins, if necessary. Serve warm or at room temperature, with honey butter.