Edna Lewis’s Corn Muffins

Recipe from Edna Lewis

Adapted by Francis Lam

Edna Lewis’s Corn Muffins
Victor Schrager for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Rebecca Bartoshesky.
Total Time
35 minutes
Rating
4(258)
Notes
Read community notes

After reading that Edna Lewis preferred extra-fine cornmeal, I adapted her recipe to use corn flour. (Be sure to get corn flour, not pure white cornstarch.) These muffins have great corn flavor, and they have a very tender, creamy texture when hot and stay moist when cool. If you’re using regular cornmeal, the muffins are still delicious, especially warm; just reduce the buttermilk to 2 cups. —Francis Lam

Featured in: Edna Lewis and the Black Roots of American Cooking

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
    Subscribe

  • Print Options

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:12 muffins
  • 2tablespoons lard or butter, plus 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 2½cups corn flour or extra-fine cornmeal (not cornstarch)
  • 1teaspoon salt
  • 1teaspoon baking soda
  • ½teaspoon homemade baking powder (see note)
  • 2½cups buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1egg, beaten
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

164 calories; 3 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 28 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 210 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 400. Generously grease the wells of the muffin pan with 2 tablespoons of lard or butter, leaving the extra fat in the wells. In a mixing bowl, sift together the corn flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.

  2. Step 2

    When the oven is hot, place the muffin tin inside to preheat. Meanwhile, stir the buttermilk into the dry ingredients and mix well, then stir in the egg and 2 tablespoons melted butter. When the muffin pan is very hot (if using butter to grease, the butter should have just stopped sizzling), carefully remove it, and quickly fill each well with about 3 ounces of batter. Bake for 17-20 minutes, rotating once, until a toothpick comes out clean and the edges of the muffins are golden brown.

  3. Step 3

    Let the pan cool for 2 minutes on a rack, then remove the muffins. (If necessary, use a paring knife to release them.) Serve muffins hot, with butter.

Tip
  • To make homemade baking powder, which leaves no metallic or chemical taste, sift together 2 parts cream of tartar to 1 part baking soda.

Ratings

4 out of 5
258 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Cooking Notes

Kent

Praise Jesus, this is real cornbread! So tired of people using sugar and white flour and calling it cornbread.

Emily

are you sure these measurements are correct? I 1/2 cups corn flour seems right ... I just made this with 2 1/2 and it was all wrong.

Kathleen

I made these twice, the second time with honest to goodness corn flour from Bob's Red Mill. Great muffins. The recipe measurements seem right.

GaryRamone

Like Islay, mine didn’t rise and get domed like a normal muffin. But I have a feeling that’s by design? It would be helpful to know. They’re very buttery tasting and the flavor was delicious—I had been searching for a recipe with all cornmeal (and no sugar was a plus).

CBB

Delicious, moist corn muffins. Being out of buttermilk, I soured 2% milk with vinegar(have also used lemon) about a T/cup. Used Stone ground yellow corn meal. One time cut the recipe in 1/2 for 6 muffins and they came out just as good. Appreciated muffins being gluten free and tasting fabulous. Loved the poached spiced pears as well.

Olive

Delicious!

GaryRamone

Used 480 g buttermilk; 2 cups medium grind cornmeal.

Elizabeth

Got some corn flour from a local purveyor and found this recipe to use it. Have made it several times and have used baking cup liners after the first time, which has worked great.

Molly

Bake 12-14 minutes for mini muffins!

Angela Gyetvan

Well, I’m a Southern girl in LA, so I usually have both corn flour & corn meal in my pantry. Today my pantry failed me - 1-1/2 C corn flower & no corn meal. But what did I have plenty of? Grits! So I ground a cup of grits in my Mini-prep and sifted in with all the other dry ingredients. Reduced buttermilk to 2C. Worked very well - a tiny bit more “grit” that I bet Edna’s muffins had, but totally moist & delicious.

Eliz.

Cornflour ground by a local organic farm weighs 240 grams or 48 grams per half cup

Jean

My new cornbread recipe! Will make again and again.

tina

can I use regular milk. I am not a fan of buttermilk? thank you

Karen

Once I didn't have cornmeal so I used polenta. It was the best corn bread I ever had. Nice grainy texture.

Sundee

Can this be baked in cast iron skillet, not muffin tin, with no alterations? Love the sound of this!

ad

Made this for Easter Sunday, and will make many times in the future. Absolutely delicious, amazing corn flavor, and could not be easier. They keep beautifully, as well -- the leftover muffins were just as tender on Day 2 or 3 as they were right out of the oven.

Yvonne Melchionne Trimble

Am a missionary in CapHaitian, Haiti; everything is from scratch. Used DR cornmeal flour and full cream powdered milk w vinegar to make buttermilk. They r perfect! Great recipe.

Molly

Bake 12-14 minutes for mini muffins!

Lou

I have made the corn muffins twice. Halved the recipe and it made 6 plus muffins. The only different thing I did to the recipe was add the whole amount of butter versus half. They turned out perfect. We even had leftovers for the next morning. Made spicy county sausage patty sandwiches with the corn muffins. Really tasty.

Joni D

Had some buttermilk so looked for a recipe to use it. Tasted like cardboard. Sorry. Being honest. First thing I ever made that I am dumping.

TobyCat

Made as written, using equal parts locally grown/milled corn + Bob's Red Mill polenta. I used a 10" cast iron pan instead of a muffin tin - came out nicely browned around the edges at 20 minutes. No sugar means the flavor is all about the corn. Delish!

HKanthou

Love this recipe, though I have ended up using more (all 4 TBS) melted butter and using a separate blob of butter for the pan. My favorite accompaniment to mildly spicy (berber, cayenne) vegetarian chili, perfect comfort food.

Shelli

Followed instructions exactly and it was perfect! So excited to keep making these.

Bob

A unique and wholesome corn bread with no sugar.

Private notes are only visible to you.

Credits

Adapted from Edna Lewis's "Taste of Country Cooking."

Recipe Tags

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.

More From Kwanzaa Recipes

More Recipes From Francis Lam

Cooking Guides