Zesty Corn Muffins

I am sorry these weren't posted yesterday. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Matt and I are training for a race at the end of October. Since it's only a month away, training and trying to figure out how we will be making our costumes is consuming my life (that's right, I said costumes... who wouldn't want to get all their friends together and run a Halloween 10K dressd as Mario Kart's finest??) What's even better is not only do we get to sport awesome costumes and try to win the costume contest but we will be receiving medals and free Blue Moon beer.

So there is my confession, I go through the hell of training in Pittsburgh, hills (more like mountains) and all, for the medal and free beer. Oh... and also for the exercise and the great memories... I almost forgot that part. Back to the muffins, let's just consider them a form of carbo loading one month out.

I found this recipe while on foodgawker.com one day and it instantly jumped out at me. If computers could talk, mine was screaming, "Make me tonight, and make me with chili!" And that is exactly what I did.

I honestly never thought making cornbread from scratch would be so easy. I was pleasantly surprised. These muffins put my normal Jiffy box cornbread muffins to shame. They were warm and not dry at all. Make Paula Deen proud and smoother these bad boys with butter and I promise they will be a flavor explosion in your mouth. The perfect complement to chili...or in my case, 2 by themselves before the chili was even done.

Zesty Corn Muffins (makes 12 muffins)
(adapted from Allison Eats)


Ingredients
1 Cup Flour
1 Cup Corn Meal
1/4 Cup Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1 Cup Sour Cream
2 Eggs
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) Unsalted Butter, Melted and Cooled
1 1/2 Cup Frozen Corn Kernels, Thawed and Drained
1/2 Cup Scallions, Chopped
1 Jalapeno, Diced (I used 2)


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Grease and flour a 12 cup muffin pan, or use paper liners.
3. Combine all dry ingredients (the first 7) in a large bowl.
4. In a smaller bowl whisk together the sour cream, eggs, and melted butter.
5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients until just moistened.
6. Fold in corn kernels, scallions, and diced jalapenos.
7. Divide batter evenly into muffin pan and cook for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of one muffin comes out clean.

Enjoy! :)