Amish Cornmeal Muffins

No more muffin mixes for me…here’s the “perfect recipe” according to my husband.  I’ve tried a lot of recipes for cornbread, and this one is perfect.  It’s grainy, but not crumbly; moist and delicious.  Lard always adds something to breads like this; we buy ours from our local locker plant, so it’s not hydrogenated like supermarket brands.  The one mix we like contains high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils, two things we try to avoid, so I was really happy to have tried this Amish recipe.

If I want a head start, I weigh out my dry ingredients into the bowl ahead of time, grease the pan, and mix the egg and milk and refrigerate it. 

I don’t make a mix of the ingredients, because I want my baking powder to be fresh, and part of the reason I don’t like mixes is all those little packets I feel like I have to use it up.  My basic pantry ingredients get turned over faster, because they have a variety of uses, and it takes just minutes to weigh out my dry ingredients right into the bowl. 

It helps if you keep your baking supplies together…think about Grandma’s Hoosier cabinet-very efficient.  I keep my flour and sugar in canisters on the counter, and things like baking powder, salt, soda, cornstarch, oils, cornmeal, etc. on a turntable in the cupboard right above them, and another turntable next to it has measuring cups.  Mixing bowls are in the cabinet below; measuring spoons in the drawer, whisks, etc. on a hanging tool rack, spoons and scrapers in a tool crock.  I don’t have to take a step to mix this up, except to the fridge for the liquids.

You can also make this recipe in a pan or skillet, and it’s easy to double.                  

Amish Cornmeal Muffins  

     1/3      cup  cornmeal – 1.8 ounces

     2/3      cup  flour, all-purpose – 3 ounces

     2          tablespoons  sugar

     1/2      teaspoon  salt

  2             teaspoons  baking powder

     1/2      cup  milk

  1             large  egg -- beaten

  2             tablespoons  lard -- melted and cooled  (or butter) – 1 ounce

1.           Preheat oven to 400°.  Generously grease a 6-cup muffin pan or an 8" round baking pan.
2.          Stir together the dry ingredients, then add the milk, eggs and melted fat.
3.          Stir the mixture quickly until the dry ingredients are just moistened.  Bake in greased muffin tins 16-18 minutes at 400°.

For skillet cornbread:  Heat oven to 400°.  Generously grease bottom and sides of an 8" cast-iron skillet.  Heat the skillet 10 minutes in oven, until hot.  Remove carefully to heatproof surface.

Spread batter in hot skillet, return to oven, bake 16-18 minutes or until golden brown. 

2016 Cost: 59¢ per half dozen; mix was on sale at 55¢ without the egg, milk or lard; cost was 89¢ for mix muffins, or 10¢ for homemade muffin, 15¢ for sale price mix muffin.

The mix contains corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oil.

Modified from "Amish Cooking 1980 "

Per Serving: 160 Calories; 6g Fat (34.3% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 42mg Cholesterol; 362mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.