Seems that I have mastered the art of making dry corn muffins.

[applecrisp]

I like to make cornbread to go along with soups. I typically make them into muffins since its better for portion control and freezing.

So the last few times, the corn muffins were so dry. Cough, cough.... obviously I overbaked them. One time, they were real brown along the bottom half (I thought maybe it was due to the foil muffin liners I used .... I never used the liners for the corn muffins before). I didn't use the liners this time.

The recipes are for standard cornbread (cornmeal, flour, eggs, milk etc). No corn kernels.

The recipes said to bake 20 minutes in an 8 inch square pan, so how long would you think it would take? At what time would you check?

When I first tested the cornmuffins it wasn't wet but a part was definitely not as cooked (it looked moister/yellower in color). So should the muffins be uniform/dry throughout?

Oh, anyone have a chisel to pry the dry part out of my poor muffin pan (a nonstick, medium in color). Oh, and since I'm asking..... in general, if a recipe doesn't specify (whether baking or what have you.... do you typically just put on the middle rack? And, use the lower third if you want more browning on the bottom. I don't quite get the whole upper/lower thing.

I don't think its my oven causing the problem.

Thanks so much!

[Canice]

I don't think I can help with your specifics (though I always use the middle rack unless directed otherwise) but thought I'd post this recipe, which I quite like and has gotten good reviews from others on the BB. I use a non-stick muffin pan and use a light spray of canola oil.

Garden Muffins
From "The City Gardener's Cookbook"

1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup peeled, seeded, and finely diced tomatoes
1/2 cup grated zucchini
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup chopped green onion

Preheat oven to 400F. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt and mix well. In a small bowl, beat together the egg, milk, oil, and butter. Stir in the dry ingredients. Add the tomatoes, zucchini, carrot, and green onions, blending thoroughly. Spoon the batter into greased muffin tins, filling about three-quarters full. Bake 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm.
Makes 1 dozen muffins.

[applecrisp]

Thanks Canice for the recipe, it looks great and different from my usual muffin. I will try them next week.

Thanks again.

[sneezles]

Without seeing the specifics of your recipe it's difficult to offer advice.

[applecrisp]

Hi Sneezles,

This is the recipe I tried.... it's lighter than the one that I usually use. My friend made the recipe and she said it was good, although certainly not rich like some other recipes.

Corn Bread
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teasp baking powder
1/2 teasp salt
2 egg whites (I used one egg)
2 table veg oil
2 table honey
1 cup, plus 2 table skim milk

(optional ingredients; finely chopped apples, pears, green peppers, shredded lf cheddar etc)

Preheat 425 (400 for glass pan)

Lightly oil a 9-inch sq baking pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.

In another bowl, combine remaining ingredients, including any additional ingredients if using. Beat with fork or whisk until blended. Add to dry mixture, stirring just until all ingredients are moistened. Spoon into prepared pan.

Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.

Place pan on wire rack. Cut into squares and serve warm for best flavor.




A few weeks back I tried a CL recipe and had similar end product that also instructed to bake in an 8 inch pan but I turned into muffins.

Thanks,

[sneezles]

I see the egg white and oil being used in place of whole eggs. Personally, I'd rather use whole eggs and no veggie oil (not enough cholesterol to really worry about). I'm posting the recipe that I've used very successfully for light, fluffy muffins. As stated jalapeños are optional and you can use reduced fat sour cream but I wouldn't go as far as fat-free. This is a very thick batter so don't be surprised if you have difficulty stirring it once you add the sour cream.

Also since muffins are closer to cake than biscuit the temperature is 350º which is significantly lower than your 425º. And while I'm sure there are hundreds, if not thousands, of recipes that call for corn bread to be baked at 400º to 425º, they're not muffin recipes. Corn bread is much drier than corn muffins.


Sour Cream Jalapeño Corn Muffins

1 1/2 cups yellow corn meal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbs sugar (or more if you like it sweeter)
1 tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 to 1 1/2 tsp minced, seeded, fresh jalapeño pepper (opt)

Heat oven to 350º. Grease muffin cups, or use paper or foil baking cups (I use a 10" cast iron skillet that is heating in the oven while I mix up the batter, this is important if you are using cast iron).

Thoroughly mix corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl (using a whisk is very efficient).

Beat eggs and sour cream with a whisk in a small bowl. When smooth, stir in jalapeño, if using. Pour over flour mixture. Fold in with a rubber spatula until well blended (folding is the key word); batter will be very stiff.

Scoop batter into muffin cups (or pour into hot skillet and smooth to edges). Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until firm to the touch in the center (I usually start checking at 20 minutes for the skillet, it's done when tester comes out dry). Let cool 5 minutes in pan before turing onto rack to cool.

[applecrisp]

Thanks Sneezles for the recipe. I will try it sans jalapenos.

So I'm thinking that part of my problem was baking the muffins at the same temp mentioned for the 8-9 inch square. I just thought baking it less time would be sufficient.

Just wondering if you were making a cake recipe that called for an 8 inch pan but you wanted them as cupcakes, would you lower the temp? Or, just reduce the cooking time?

When I tested the last batch of muffins they weren't wet but still a bit moist inside (I cut into a a piece in addition to the tester). I wonder if the residual heat when cooling would have taken care of that. Also, since a cornbread and corn muffin novice maybe I don't quite get what the ideal finshed product is supposed to be.

You bet next time I make cornbread, no playing around with the recipe.

Thanks,

[sneezles]

So I'm thinking that part of my problem was baking the muffins at the same temp mentioned for the 8-9 inch square. I just thought baking it less time would be sufficient.

Just wondering if you were making a cake recipe that called for an 8 inch pan but you wanted them as cupcakes, would you lower the temp? Or, just reduce the cooking time?

Normally you would bake them in less time but muffins, for the most part, generally take 20-25 minutes to bake. I just think that recipe had too hot an oven. When converting to a different pan I adjust the time not the temp.

And, yes, there will be moisture in a hot muffin but if your tester comes clean then remove from the oven.

[applecrisp]

Thanks Sneezles --- it seems that the hot oven was the main culprit plus I just baked them too long. When I tested with the toothpick it wasn't wet, but when I went investigating and cut into a piece it was still a bit moister (not wet --- but certainly not as cooked iniside, definitely more "yellow" inside. And yikes did it stick to my muffin tin. I should have pulled them out then.

Thanks again for your help on this and all the other questions you've answered of mine.