The lime, with its zest in the batter and juice in the glaze, balances the sweetness of the cornmeal and intensify the freshness of the berries.
Messy Baker again. I am talking about the book, but also about me since I feel like a messy baker. I clean after myself, though, and try not to be ill-humored by the mess in the kitchen (on the counter, in the sink, on the floor) while I am baking. On the contrary, I enjoy the process all the way through, until the end, the tasting part. And as it has already happened before, I postponed a yoga class just to bake. I will go this afternoon, no big deal, baking in the morning is my "thing". I prefer it a million times and my baked goods seem to reflect that.
Just one more week before I have to bring back The Messy Baker book to the Public Library. I must hurry up, there are so many recipes that I want to re-make. This one seemed a super delicious and super messy one: Blueberry-Lime Cornmeal Muffins. I was up for the challenge. I love to mix and play with different flours, and the cornmeal adds that little crunch and interest to the batter. I remember that a few Saturdays ago we had breakfast in a little café and had an enjoyable Corn Almond Coconut Muffin. I said to Loreto that I wanted to try and bake a muffin with cornmeal in it and when I saw this recipe in the book, that was it. I added Saskatoon berries to the mix because I found them lately at The Farmers' Market and was so eager to try them. They are in season right now, they are locally harvested and most of all they are extremely delectable. Limes, lemons, and oranges are flavours that I try to incorporate in -almost- any sweets that I make. The fact that I didn't have buttermilk did not stop me, I thinned some sour cream in milk till I reached the required amount and desired consistency. And I used goat butter instead of the regular butter (we like it a lot around here 🙂 ).
In an hour or less you and your dear ones will enjoy one of the best muffins ever. The lime, with its zest in the batter and juice in the glaze, balances the sweetness of the cornmeal and intensify the freshness of the berries. The recipe calls for an optional whipped honey-lime butter, which, if I was a butter lover, would have definitely made. I am not, though, so I stopped at the glaze which is so lovely sweet and sour and gives that extra level. They are perfect for an afternoon tea party, for a picnic lunch, for a joyful breakfast outdoor so we can revel in every minute of this summer.
She says to prepare the glaze and the whipped butter (if using) while the muffins are cooking. Since to make just the glaze did not require that much time, I employed the rest of the time cleaning up the kitchen and listening to Florence and The Machine.
The smell is sweet and comforting, the taste is divine, the color is rich and golden. They are soft but not "wet" soft, they're firm and crumbly, juicy and citrusy. I've really fallen in love with these muffins. So different in taste and texture from the -oh so good- Strawberry Muffin that I've made not long ago.
I hope you try them and let me know the outcome. Your comments and shared experiences make me happy.
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Berry Lime Cornmeal Muffins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup fine-ground cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¾ cup melted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 lime, the zest
- 1 and ½ cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
For the Lime glaze:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 lime, the zest
For the whipped honey-lime butter (optional):
- ½ cup butter, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 lime, the zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 pinch of fine sea salt
Instructions
- To make the muffins: Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a 12 muffin-cup tin with parchment liners.
- In a large bowl sift together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a medium bowl mix together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, buttermilk, butter, vanilla and lime peel.
- Add the blueberries to the flour mixture and toss to coat. Pour the buttermilk mixture over the flour mixture and using a spatula mix until the batter is just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fill ¾ of the muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the muffinsa are golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- While the muffins are baking, make the lime glaze and whipped butter (if using).
- To make the glaze: In a small bowl mix the sugar, lime juice, and lime peel until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside. Stir well just before using.
- To make the whipped butter: In a small bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, blend the butter, honey, lime peel, and lime juice. With the electric mixer on high speed, whip for 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add salt to taste.
- Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes in the pans before transferring to a rack. While still warm, brush the top of the muffins with the lime glaze, even poking a few holes on top with a skewer to allow th glaze to penetrate. Allow to cool.
- Serve with regular butter, whipped honey-lime butter, or no butter at all.
Notes
I did not have buttermilk but had sour cream. So I made a buttermilk substitute by thinning the sour cream with a bit of milk until it reached the consistency of buttermilk. I stirred to combine and used it in the recipe.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Baking
Keywords: lime, berry, muffins, breakfast, buttermilk
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I love baking and kneading dough because it takes me to a happy place in my soul.
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