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Perfect Corn Muffins

Cook's Illustrated Corn Muffins the perfect cross of a cake-like sweet corn muffin and down home cornbread.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Muffins
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cook's Illustrated, Corn Muffin

Equipment

  • 12-cup standard muffin tin

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (280 grams) yellow cornmeal, to be divided Use stone ground for that characteristic grittiness that cornbread can have.
  • 1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea or table salt
  • 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) milk, whole is best here
  • 1 cup (240 grams) sour cream (full-fat plain yogurt should work here too)
  • 8 tablespoons (115 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar.
  • 2 large eggs

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 425°F (220°C). Either grease or line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with liners.
  • Whisk 1 1/2 cups cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.

Cornmeal Mush

  • In a large bowl (if you have a microwave) or a medium saucepan (if you do not), combine milk and remaining 1/2 cup cornmeal. In a microwave, cook cornmeal–milk mixture for 1 1/2 minutes, then whisk thoroughly, and continue to microwave in 30-second increments, mixing between them, until it’s thickened to a batter-like consistency, i.e. the whisk will leave a clear line across the bottom of the bowl that slowly fills in. This will take 1 to 3 minutes longer.
  • On the stove, cook cornmeal mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens as described above, then transfer to a large bowl.

Put the batter together

  • Whisk butter, then sugar, then sour cream into cooked cornmeal until combined. At this point, the wet mixture should be cool enough that adding the eggs will not scramble them, but if it still seems too hot, let it cool for 5 minutes longer. Whisk in eggs until combined.
  • Fold in flour mixture until thoroughly combined and the batter is very thick. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups; it will mound slightly above the rim.
  • Bake until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 13 to 17 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking to ensure even cooking. Let muffins cool in muffin tin on wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove muffins from tin and let cool 5 minutes longer. Serve warm with honey butter or just honey if you feel guilty.
  • Eat by themselves, with Chili, with just about anything.