Now for those of you that know me, you know I don’t eat breakfast very often. I know, it’s not good to skip breakfast, but I grew up rushing out of the house at the last minute always missing out on what is supposed to be the most important meal of the day.

So today, on a day off from work, but a day full of recipe testing, I was in the mood for corn muffins. These have a nice crunch on top, but so soft and pillowy inside. This is one of the easiest recipes for corn muffins, you’ll never buy one of those blue boxes again!

This easy recipe is thanks to the Barefoot Contessa once again…

Barefoot Contessa’s Corn Muffins

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup medium cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 pound unsalted butter (2 sticks), melted and cooled
• 2 extra-large eggs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, melted butter, and eggs. With the mixer on the lowest speed, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and stir until they are just blended. Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each one to the top.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the tops are crisp and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly and remove from the pan.

While they are still slightly warm, break one open and put a small dollop of some heart-healthy butter (Smart Balance or your favorite kind – and yes, real butter is ALWAYS welcome).