Sweet corn picked when just ripe tastes so much fresher than canned or frozen kernels that I eat as much as possible during corn season. When I’m not gnawing on cobs of Husk-Grilled Corn with Smoky Lime Butter, I slice off the kernels to stuff into tacos and empanadas, toss in fresh salsa and stir into risotto. The kernels also add texture when combined with cornmeal in baked goods.
These cornmeal muffins essentially start with a recipe for homemade creamed corn. Cutting the kernels from the cobs yourself lets you scrape down or “milk” the cobs’ remaining pulp. The pale liquid adds extra doses of fresh corn sweetness. If you have extra ears, bake two pans of creamed kernels and serve the second batch as a side dish lightly seasoned with salt, butter and perhaps honey.
In the muffins, cultured buttermilk enhances the fresh corn flavor. Regular milk, used as is or soured with vinegar to create a buttermilk substitute, would create a similar texture but vinegary overtone. As I explained when I shared my recipe for buttermilk biscuits, most buttermilk today is made using a starter culture, not as a butter-making by-product, and cultured buttermilk is among the easiest dairy products you can make at home. Still, if you need a substitute, the whey drained from homemade yogurt, or from store-bought yogurt that hasn’t been thickened by additives, has a similar flavor but less milkfat.
Corn Kernel Muffins with Sage
Makes 12 muffins
5 ears sweet corn (about 4-1/2 cups of kernels)
1/2 cup milk
1-1/2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cultured buttermilk
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 fresh red chili, minced (optional)
Slice the corn kernels off the cobs. Run the dull side of the knife along all the cut angles of each cob to extract the corn “milk.” Scrape this liquid and half of the corn kernels into a large baking dish. Put the remaining kernels in a food processor and puree until creamy.
Add the pureed corn to the baking dish; pour in the milk and stir to combine. Cover and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, pepper and sage. In a large glass measuring cup, combine the eggs, buttermilk and butter. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ones until just combined, and then fold in the baked corn and chili, if using.
Divide the batter among 12 buttered muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the muffin tops are golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Pull the muffins from the oven, and let them sit for five minutes before removing them from the pan.
Julie Laing is a Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger at TwiceAsTasty.com.