Cornantine Muffins

It's now day 962,531 8 of quarantine, but it's also Monday which means it's time for #MuffinMonday! 

When I was trying to figure out which muffins to make for this #muffinmonday in quarantine I first started thinking about the word quarantine or bidud in Hebrew. I thought of what foods start with Q and B and also had to take into account what I have on hand. I thought of quinoa muffins, quiche muffins, banana muffins, and blueberry muffins and then as I was falling asleep last night it came to me - CORNANTINE muffins! 

I know it's super corny and yes that was super corny but these muffins are perfect for quarantine and the third lockdown that just began in Israel because these muffins don't have any fancy ingredients, just pantry staples. To take these muffins over the top I added a ton of blueberries to the batter and combined with the sweet corn flavor these muffins definitely make any day especially a day in quarantine so much better! 

One of the best food memories I have from growing up is my mother making corn muffins for a weekday breakfast. It made a regular Tuesday morning into something special. The batter comes to gather in minutes and they bake for about 20 minutes so we were able to enjoy these before we hopped on the bus to school. They are best served hot and fresh from the oven with a pat of butter and a little bit of jam.

Cornantine Muffins 

1 cup cornmeal - in Israel קמח תירס, not קורנפלור which is corn starch 

1 1/4 cups flour 

1 tsp salt 

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/3 cup sugar 

1/2 cup oil or 1 stick melted butter

3/4 cup buttermilk*

2 eggs

1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (optional)

zest of 1 lemon (optional)

2 Tbsp turbinado sugar to sprinkle over the top 

Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C

Grease a standard-size muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. 

In a large bowl mix together the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda until well combined. Add the sugar, oil/butter, buttermilk, and eggs and stir until just combined. If using blueberries and lemon zest fold them in now.
Fill the prepared muffin tin with the batter, sprinkle each muffin with sugar, and bake for 18-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

*This recipe uses buttermilk which adds to the flavor and more importantly the texture of the muffin. If you want to make them dairy-free or only have regular milk on hand, no problem! Just mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the 3/4 cup milk or dairy-free milk of your choice and let it stand for 5 minutes and you're good to go. 

Yield: 12 standard-size muffins

Like all the muffins on this blog, these should be stored in a zip-top bag or airtight container on the counter for 2 days (if you don't eat them all before hand) they also freeze beautifully.