Saturday, December 10, 2011

Masa Muffins

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When I opened the jar of Primo Loganberry Ancho Preserves, the first thing I thought of was cornbread. It had the right sweet-spicy flavor that would match perfectly. The preserves are more sweet than spicy, so people who don't like spicy food would probably like these preserves. In these muffins, the heat is moderated even more, leaving just a little warmth.

These would make a nice addition to the holiday table - a nice options for those who are bored with the usual dinner rolls. Because of the sweetness, they'd also be nice with breakfast.

Masa harina isn't the same thing as cornmeal. These muffins have more of a southwestern flair than a southern one. But the taste is subtle, so you needn't worry about them clashing with your dinner. They're corn muffins - just different corn muffins.

Masa Muffins

1 cup flour
3/4 cup masa harina
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup Primo Loganberry Ancho Preserves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray 12 muffin cups - the cupcake size, not the giant ones - with baking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, masa harina, sugar, salt, and baking powder. whisk to combine.

In a small bowl, combine the milk, egg, and vegetable oil. Whisk to break up the egg and combine the ingredients.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir until it is well-combined and most of the lumps are gone - it doesn't have to be completely smooth.

Fill the muffin cups about 1/2 full with the muffin batter. Add 1 teaspoon of the preserves to the center of each muffin. Top with the rest of the batter.

Bake at 400 degrees until the muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean of batter. You might find preserves on that toothpick, but there shouldn't be any wet batter.

Remove the muffins from the pan and let the cool on a rack if you won't be serving them immediately.
Yum