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2012Corn Muffins, Hoecakes, and Another Great Give Away!
There is no sneaking a corn muffin in this house!
I have never met a corn muffin I didn’t like… Talk about “sweet opposites”! Corn muffins are vastly different than cookies covered in royal icing, candy and sugar but I love them for their texture, their half sweetness and total corn-ni-ness. I especially like corn muffins that include fresh corn kernels so I was super excited to try Bradley Ogden‘s Corn Muffins from the Seven Stars Cookbook.
This corn muffin batter was so delicious I probably ate a whole muffin's worth!
This recipe calls for blue corn flour which was a twist that I loved the idea of but I could not find it anywhere so I used yellow corn flour instead. Still delicious! Those lumps you see in my batter photo? Corn kernels- yes!
Deflated muffins! Boo!
I guess I won’t be quitting my day job to become a muffin maker any time soon… While these muffins were delicious, they looked not even close to the idea of my ultimate muffin (which is a cross between the corn muffin at Au Bon Pain and NYC coffee cart muffin)! I feel like every time I have ever attempted muffin baking I never ever get that perfect, overflowing, tall muffin top which is a statement I wish I could make about other muffin top achievements. 
Smells scrumptious to me!
I had much better luck with Paula Deen’s Hoecake recipe. My love of corn muffins trickles down to corn bread love and hoecakes are essentially corn pancakes! Mmmmmm!
This recipe also called for fresh corn kernels- YUM!
What I love about hoecakes, is that they can be served as sweet or savory, so I tested this recipe in the hopes that it would be a great appetizer for Easter or a Spring Craft Brunch!
Success! Paula Deen's hoecakes topped with warm crab dip= delicious!
What is great about a good cookbook is the recipe inspiration and this cookbook is filled with it!
Thanks to Total Rewards, I have two more of the Seven Stars Cookbooks to give away! Here are the rules and regulations…
Total Rewards Seven Star Cookbook Giveaway: Share Your Foodie Juice with The Juice!
In the comment section of this post, please tell us about your favorite muffin (is is a corn muffin?), or pancake (have you ever had a hoecake?). Details please! who made it? where it is it from? (We need to know this so we can go try one too!)
Since we will be giving 1 cookbook to 2 different people, you are welcome to share your thoughts on all topics but please comment only once.
We will be collecting Foodie “Juice” comments up until midnight this coming Sunday, April 1 (and no, that is not an April Fools joke!). Two very lucky winners will be chosen using Random.com. International entries are welcome but you may be required to contribute to shipping costs.
I can’t wait to hear your latest and greatest “Foodie Juice”! I know your last entries made me really hungry and thirsty! xo Dani
Amanda Hansult
I think I’ll write about my favorite pancake dish – it’s one that I do make often because not only is it so yummy but very easy to make!
Beet Pancakes with Arugula and Goat Chesse! Doesn’t get any better than that!
I actually came across the recipe in a Martha Stewart EVERYDAY FOOD mag that YOU (Danielle) gave me one of the first times we met!
The recipes is simple – I don’t have it here in front of me (shhh! I’m at work ) but I’ll try my best to remember…
A mixture of chickpeas, shredded beets and carrots, as well as some flour and a few other ingredients that I can’t quite remember, is what makes up this delicious dish! Simply mix it all together and plop it in the frying pan with a little oil…after about 10 minutes flip and do the other side! Once all the pancakes are make, toss arugula with some olive oil and I think lemon juice(?), maybe some salt and pepper as well, and place on top of the pancake. The final touch? My favorite thing ever…crumbled GOAT CHEESE!
This vegetarian dish is so yummy and can be enjoyed equally both warm and cold…it makes for a great weeknight dinner or next day leftover lunch!
xo
Amanda
Pauline Dravet
My favorite muffin is the classic blueberry. I always use a revised version of Alton Brown’s blueberry muffin recipe. I had tried many recipes over the past 20 years and I can say with much confidence that this is the perfect recipe. It is especially delicious warm with honey.
Meredith Wu
My favorite muffin has to be the blueberry muffin, from two different places in particular. I grew up in Boston and my dad worked alot so we rarely got to see him since he got home when we were asleep and he’d be at work when we got home from school. So on Wednesdays, his only day off, he would take us downtown to Jordan Marsh and got blueberry muffins. The store is no longer there so I have fond memories of that time. Another instance was when I went away to college and feeling homesick, my friend from home came to visit carrying blueberry muffins from Mrs. Field’s. So the blueberry muffin has special meaning to me.
Jenn
I had my favorite corn muffin is at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill in NYC on 5th Ave. Part of his bread basket. He uses yellow and blue corn meal and then swirls the blue into the yellow so it looks marbled when you break into it. Incredible moist and has a slight kick to it of course. Great with warm butter.
DFiori
These sound REALLY REALLY delicious + butter! Yum. xo
Joey C.
This is going to sounds silly but when I lived in Alabama my favorite place for muffins was Panera Bread. I could eat those muffin tops by the dozen all by myself. I loved the pumpkin and the chocolate chip. I grew up in NY but I haven’t lived in the city in over ten years so I’m not really in the loop as far as where to get some good food there. But for six out of the seven years I lived in Auburn, Alabama I knew I could always count on Panera Bread for a darn good muffin!!!
P.S. They make delicious Hot Cross Buns and Scones also.
My email address is: cosentinoscookies@gmail.com
DFiori
Joey, This doesn’t sound crazy at all- my fave muffin is Au Bon Pain! I will make it my business to try this one!
xo
Pauline Dravet
Any winners yet?
Joan
I love muffins of all kinds and corn muffins are delicious with chili, soups and stews. I have eaten a hoe cake. Both my Grands made delicious hoe cakes and I now make them as well.