Garlicky Corn Jalapeno Savory Muffins

Hello all, I’m back with my another baking series.. or I must say we are already in the middle of a series. Many of you must have noticed that recently I’m baking (read, gulping) a lot. In fact sometimes I wonder if have forgotten cooking on the gas stove. No kidding seriously I’m addicted; remember?? So one after another I need fresh addiction. But I must mention this is the most entertaining to sometimes most exhausting addiction I've ever had. But the immense pleasure I have from it I bet no other things can be a substitute of it.

Though I treasure my baking spree and sweet tooth, lately I was afraid I won’t be able to continue satisfy both together. So much sweetness was just killing me. I had to remind on each minute how much I’m piling on every mins. Again I needed freshness. Something different (don’t know exactly what I was looking for); I needed a break from the conventional concept of baking cakes. Here my journey had begun and my journey includes everything; books, magazines, internet, cookery show, travel show, you name it I was there. Trust me it is the journey of uncertainty and frustration. But I think I’m lucky enough to have few options in between. The most interesting one was savory muffins.

Traditionally muffins are known as small, light cakes with has less fat. Mostly muffins are used for breakfasts but you can enjoy them during snacks too over your favorite cuppa. Mostly these muffins are filled with fresh fruits and fry fruits. Ofcourse they are sweet in taste. But no I’m not walking on the same road so I chose savory version of it, which I found in another lovely blog The Candid Appetite.

I followed major portions of the recipe and made teeny weeny changes according to my taste and choice. After a while I was going to try savory baking and no garlic!!! Anyhow is that possible for me?? Yeah you know me right. My savory preparation can’t get rid of my favorite flavor. My version of muffins are burst of taste and flavors. Your every bite will be packed with a strong flavor of roasted garlic with the taste of roasted corn and spiciness of jalapeno.

So here is the recipe of my so beloved Corn Jalapeno Muffins.

Preparation Time: 30 mins

Cooking Time: 20 mins (baking) + 5 mins (stand by)

Total Time: 55 mins

Yield: 16 medium or 24 small muffins

Ingredients:

Frozen corn kernels : 1 cup

Jalapeno : 2, medium

Spring onion : 3

Garlic : 8-10 cloves

Milk : 1 cup

Egg : 2

Olive oil : ¼ cup + 1 tsp

Grated cheddar cheese : 1 cup

All-purpose flour : 1¼ cup

Whole wheat flour : ¼ cup

Fine semolina : ½ cup

Baking soda : 1 tsp

Baking powder : 2 tsp

Black salt : 1 tsp

Caster sugar : ¼ cup

Red chili flakes : 1 tbsp

Black pepper powder : 1 tsp

Saffron strands : 1 pinch

Preparation:

Wash and clean corn kernels and garlic cloves; pat dry with kitchen towel. Take a 16” aluminum foil. Fold in the middle to form an envelope. Place the corn kernels and cloves in the middle. Pour 1 tsp of oil on it. Now close the envelope by curving the foil inwards and shake gently to coat the corn and garlic with the oil.

Place the envelope in the preheated oven at 220⁰C for 20 mins or grill them until golden brown. Remove the foil and allow it to cool on a wire rack.

Remove the stem of jalapenos; de-seed and finely chop. Clean and remove the roots of spring onions; finely chop, thoroughly including the white portion.

Take a large mixing bowl, sieve and sift one by one all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, semolina, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar. Re-sift. Add chopped jalapenos and spring onions and mix with a wooden spatula until crumbles. If you wish you can use 50-50 wheat and semolina too. Play with it and choose your game.

Add oven roasted corn and garlic and shredded cheese. Sprinkle some chili flakes and pepper powder. Continue mixing with the spatula until everything gets incorporated and crumbled.

Now take another medium mixing bowl. Pour milk, oil and crack eggs in it. whisk well until smooth. Add saffron strands.

Pour the egg mixture into the dry mixture little by little and keep mixing. In the beginning it will be hard to move the spatula even but gradually it will end up to a thick sticky batter. Add milk if required. The consistency of the batter should be like the right picture in the collage. But make sure you are not over mixing it.

Preheat the oven to 180⁰C and prepare muffin tins with pepper cup. Else you can just grease and dust the pan by ½ tsp of butter and 1 tsp of flour. Even you can opt for the silicon molds which neither needs paper nor greasing/dusting and very easy to wash too. Take a medium ice-cream scoop and scoop the batter. Place one scoop of the batter to each cup. Bake the muffins for 15 mins at 180⁰C. If you are super impressed by the extra brown top of the muffins like me bake for additional 5 mins. on the top rack of the oven.

Allow them to be in stand-by for 5 mins. Remove from the oven and transfer to the wire rack immediately.

Serve warm with breakfast. These savory muffins can be delicious snack with ketchup. Or you can have them s it is. Two of them were gone with the breath for sake of testing only.

If you want to store them for a long period, arrange them in air tight container, covering with cling film and store in the freezer up to a month.