Finding Your Table

corn muffins

cornmeal mixture

I love a crispy-crusted skillet cornbread, but, I love me a sweet, cake-y corn muffin even more.

I guess I’ll never be a Southerner.

But! I just began what I hope will be the tradition of cooking a southern New Year’s feast. I’m feeling superstitious this year.

black eyed peas=prosperity, as they swell when cooked…can also represent coins when served with greens (often cooked with pork, as pigs represent forward motion, moving forward as they forage…you’re not supposed to use any birds in this meal, lest your good luck fly away!)

sauteed kale with garlic and lemon=money. The greens resemble folded paper money. Okay, so maybe collards look more like money but the store was out of picked and cleaned collards and it was getting late!

cornbread=gold.

hot, buttered rice=tasty.

Our feast made it to the table around 2am:

a southern new year's feast

the recipe

Yankee Corn Muffins

should make 10-12 regular-sized muffins from Ina Garten

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
  • Spray muffin cups with no-stick or line with papers
  • 1 1/2 cups 180 g all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup 100 g sugar
  • 1/2 cup 70 g medium cornmeal
  • 1 tablespoon 15 mL baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon 4.5 g salt
  • 3/4 cup 180 mL whole milk
  • 1 stick 113 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 extra-large 55 g egg
  1. Stir together the flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt until well-combined.
  2. Stir together milk, melted butter, and eggs.
  3. Stir the wet into the dry until just blended. Fill muffin cups about 2/3rds full with batter (I used a 2 ounce scoop.)
  4. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the tops are crisp and golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly before removing from pan.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
Spray muffin cups with no-stick or line with papers
1 1/2 cups 180 g all purpose flour
1/2 cup 100 g sugar
1/2 cup 70 g medium cornmeal
1 tablespoon 15 mL baking powder
3/4 teaspoon 4.5 g salt
3/4 cup 180 mL whole milk
1 stick 113 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 extra-large 55 g egg
mix dry
mix wet
combine, fill cups
bake 350°F (175°C) 30 min

each column is one step, working left to right — hover a cell for the full instruction

Yankee Corn Muffins should make 10-12 regular-sized muffins
  • 1 1/2 cups 180 g all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup 100 g sugar
  • 1/2 cup 70 g medium cornmeal
  • 1 tablespoon 15 mL baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon 4.5 g salt
  • 3/4 cup 180 mL whole milk
  • 1 stick 113 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 extra-large 55 g egg

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Spray muffin cups with no-stick or line with papers.

Stir together the flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt until well-combined.

Stir together milk, melted butter, and eggs.

Stir the wet into the dry until just blended. Fill muffin cups about 2/3rds full with batter (I used a 2 ounce scoop.)

Bake for about 30 minutes, until the tops are crisp and golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly before removing from pan.

— from Ina Garten

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