CORNBREAD MUFFINS WITH MAPLE BUTTER

Cornbread Muffins with Maple Butter image

Provided by Jessica Strand

Yield Makes 12 muffins

Number Of Ingredients 12

Maple butter
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (preferably grade B)
Muffins
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly

Steps:

For maple butter:
Using electric mixer, beat butter in medium bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in maple syrup until well blended and smooth. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
For muffins:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 12 regular (1/3-cup) muffin cups. Sift cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk and egg in another medium bowl; whisk in melted butter. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients; stir just until incorporated (do not overmix). Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups. Bake muffins until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 15 minutes (muffins will be pale). Cool on rack 10 minutes. Serve with maple butter.