Corn Muffins

I was trying to think of a better title for these, because they may be my favorite muffins yet. But they really are just that--corn muffins. Of course, they have corn from our farmer's market in them, and they have apple cider vinegar-curdled soy milk, but they really are just corn muffins.

The recipe is (heavily) adapted from Emily Weinstein's recipe from the NYT blog "The Baker's Apprentice"*. The main thing I got from the recipe was the idea to incorporate a buttermilk-y flavor, and it was definitely the right move. In the vegan version, the flavor isn't overpowering, but it's a nice tangy balance to the sweet corn.

Okay, here it goes:

Dry
1 c. all purpose flour
1 c. yellow corn meal
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. sugar

Wet
3 tbsp canola or other vegetable oil
3 tbsp margarine
2 tbsp flaxseeds
6 tbsp water
1 c. soy milk
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar.

And the best part:
1 c. (about one large ear of corn's worth) of corn kernels. I used bi-color corn, since that what the farmer's market had, but just about any kind of corn will do. I do really like taste of bi-color corn, though, and I think it works great with this recipe.

Preheat oven to 425. Prepare your baking vessels. Add the apple cider vinegar to the soy milk, mix, and let stand while you prepare other things. Grind the flaxseeds, and beat well with the water. In a large bowl, mix the margarine and oil together, to a paste-like consistency. Add soy milk mixture to flaxseed mixture, and beat a little bit. Add that mixture to the margarine and oil in the large bowl, and beat until thorougly mixed. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ones, trying to mix evenly without overmixing. Add in the corn kernels. (This batter is less runny than muffin batters usually are. That's okay. The consistency at the end is great.)

Scoop the batter into your baking vessels, and bake away for 20-30 minutes.


* To be found here: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/12/the-bakers-apprentice-corn-muffins/