Sweet Corn Muffins (Corn free) #BreadBakers

Barbecues are usually a time for company and celebration, and certainly a time to enjoy food with friends and family.  At the end of May, here in the states, Memorial day is as often associated with BBQ as it is remembrance.  Since food is a familiar comfort both in times of celebration and of mourning, it is an apt theme to have BBQ bakes for our May BreadBakers challenge.

My hubby always had an appreciation for the corn muffins available from our Ivar's seafood bars here in Puget Sound.  I figured I would attempt to create something like that and went through a few iterations before settling on the formula where the silent munching and nodding and mmm-hmm-ing that ensued upon tasting, indicated success.  They were all tasty, but these muffins have the benefit of tasting like corn muffins, but being corn free so as not to exacerbate the food sensitivity in three out of four family members.  You may of course use corn meal and masa harina in place of the millet, but these are delicious even without the corn.  Millet has a wonderful corn-like flavor.

An earlier test, richer, but too crumbly when warm.

Corn muffins are typically a bit sweeter than corn bread.  I know there can be very strong feelings about corn bread and sweetness the further east you head, but here on the west coast, we are not fussed about it much.  The recipe can be doubled for a crowd but we don't ever need that many, plus I already have two other batches in the freezer!  Oh yes, if you have never had warm corn muffins with golden syrup, it is a delicious runner up to honey, though I do still love honey on my corn bread!

Almond flour gives a wonderful tender and moist texture to muffins.

Sweet "Corn" Muffins
makes 9

½ cup + 1 tbsp buttermilk
4 tbsp melted butter
1 egg
¼ cup sugar
½ cup blanched almond flour, lightly packed
¼ cup millet flour (or very finely ground millet)
½ cup white whole wheat or all purpose flour
¼ cup millet meal (you can use a grain mill or spice grinder to make meal from whole millet)
2 tsp baking powder (Hain brand baking powder is corn free)
½ tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 355º; grease or line with a muffin tin with baking papers.  Combine flours, sugar, cracked millet, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.  Beat together the buttermilk, melted butter, and egg in a small bowl or liquid measure.  Make a well in the dry mix, add liquids and mix thoroughly but briefly.  Scoop into prepared muffin wells and bake for 25-27 minutes until lightly golden around the top and cooked through.  Serve with butter, drizzle with honey or golden syrup if you like, and enjoy!

 
Be sure to check out the rest of our BBQ bakes:

• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Texas Toast starting with Homemade English Muffin Bread
• Food Lust People Love: Cheesy Skillet Cornbread
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Homemade Ciabatta Garlic Bread
• Palatable Pastime: Traeger Bacon Cornbread
• A Messy Kitchen: Sweet Corn Muffins
• Sneha’s Recipe: Homemade English Muffins
• Passion Kneaded: Hamburger Potato Buns

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.