Prep Time 15min Cook Time 20min
These are moist and savory and cheesy and wonderful, and they make the perfect pack-and-go meal if you are, say, headed out into the blizzard to make snow angels. You could make these with leftover turkey or deli ham or cooked bacon or probably even with prime rib, although if you have prime rib leftover, you should really be inviting us for dinner. Or skip the meat altogether. Feel free to experiment with the herbs: the rosemary was delicious, but dill or chives would be great too. Or skip the herbs altogether.
by Catherine Newman
What you'll need
- 2 cups white flour
- 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1/2 cup corn meal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (or half as much table salt)
- Freshly ground black pepper and cayenne (about 1/8 teaspoon each)
- 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary or 1 teaspoon snipped chives or dill
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 heaping teaspoon grainy mustard
- 1 cup diced ham
- 1 cup grated cheese (cheddar or another cheese you think would be yummy; I used something called Robusto that's like a very delicious Gouda)
Notes:
Makes 12 muffins plus a mini loaf or two, or a few extra muffins
How to make it
- Heat the oven to 400 and grease and flour a muffin tin or coat it with baking spray. If you have a 12-well traditional-size tin, you'll need an extra something, like a mini loaf pan, for the bit of leftover batter.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients, then stir in the ham and cheese. Add the wets to the dry, and combine them with a few swift strokes of a rubber spatula; you want the batter to be entirely mixed but if you beat it, the muffins could turn out dry.
- Use a half-cup measure to scoop the batter into the muffin tins; the cups will be very full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until browned and just set. Don't overbake. (I always love that direction--like you were planning to overbake them until I reminded you not to.) If they're too oozy to move (mine weren't), let them set up for ten minutes before you try to move them to a rack. Cool the muffins at least a minute or two before eating. Yum.
