We’ll be setting our Easter brunch tables soon and I’m always looking for simple but tasty offerings to add to mine.
Alongside a spiral cut ham, scalloped potatoes, and assorted veggies and salads, I’m adding these Carrot Cornbread Muffins with a drizzle of Hot Chili Honey.
The muffin recipe is not my own, but the tried and true one that’s appeared on the back of my Albers Corn Meal box since I was old enough to follow written directions and be trusted with the oven. The easy addition of a cup of grated carrot makes them special in a few different ways.
The carrot adds moisture, texture, a hint of sweetness, and a dash of color, elevating the humble muffin to something a little bit special. (And sneaks in some added nutrition and fiber!) But the real star of this show is the the Hot Chili Honey you’ll use - along with a generous dollop of butter - to bring these to the next level!
There are many recipes out there for Hot Chili Honey, several of them call for fresh garlic or fresh peppers, and several more involve corn or potato starch, cooking time, and multiple ingredients. Not this one. Mine calls for honey, bottled hot sauce, and chili powder - with a dash of pepper flakes for show. That’s it.
One of the best things about this combination is that it is shelf-stable for about 3 months. (All those using fresh garlic must be refrigerated and consumed within a week.)
Give this simple, elegant, and tasty combination a go, and let me know how you like it!
Carrot Cornbread Muffin
Ingredients:
1 cup corn meal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 cup grated carrot
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400* F. Prepare 10-12 greased or paper-lined muffin tins.
Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, bsking powder and salt in medium bowl.
Combine milk, oil, and egg in another medium bowl, adding grated carrots last.
Add milk/carrot mixture to cornmeal/flour mixture. Stir until just blended.
Spoon into prepared tins, filling 3/4 of the way full.*
Bake for 15 minutes or until an inserted toothpick come out clean
* Hint - I like to use a gravy ladle to fill my cupcake and muffin tins.
Hot Chill Honey
Ingredients & Directions:
1/2 cup honey
3 Tbsp Hot Sauce of your choice
1/4 - 1/2 chili powder
sprinkle of red pepper flakes
Simply combine all ingredients and let the flavors marry a while. Go lightly with the chili powder at first, until you know how hot you’d like your sauce to be. Pour into a sterilized container with air tight seal. Shelf stable up to 3 months.