Mild or Hot Buttermilk Cornbread

Cornbread 2

My friend recently made an amazing White Chili (whose recipe I will post soon), and I was in charge of bringing the cornbread for the dinner party. I made a Mild and Hot variety to suit everyone's tastes. The base of this cornbread is slightly sweet and sets off the savory ingredients wonderfully. Be careful when handling fresh Jalapenos or any hot peppers. The oils will mildly burn your skin if they aren't washed off quickly, and whatever you do don't rub your eyes!

Yield: About 12 Corn Muffins

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Cup Favorite Yellow Corn Meal (Weisenberger, Bob's Red Mill or Brinser's Best)

• 1 Cup All Purpose Flour

• 4 Tbsp Granulated Sugar

• 1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

• 1 Egg, beaten

• 1/4 Cup (1/2 Stick) Butter, melted

• 3/4 Cup Buttermilk

HOT:

• 4 Jalapenos, diced (include seeds for some heat)

• 2 Cups Pepperjack Cheese, shredded

• 1 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper

MILD:

• 1 4 oz. Can Diced Green Chiles, drained

• 2 Cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

• 1 Tbsp Paprika

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper muffin cups.

2. In a large bowl mix Corn Meal, Flour, Sugar and Baking Powder. Add beaten egg. Add Melted Butter and Buttermilk. Mix until moist throughout. Add Mild or Hot ingredients and mix to incorporate.

3. Scoop mix evenly into muffin pan to make each cup 3/4 full.

4. Bake until cornbread is golden, about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.

5. Serve warm with salted butter. Enjoy!