What impresses me the most about all the types of cornbread is how quickly they can be brought to the table. Warm bread for supper makes everything taste better. My version of pantry cooking is to pull a bag of butter beans or black-eyed peas frozen last summer out of the freezer and cook a pot of rice. While the rice is cooking, I can throw together a batch of corn muffins. It’s a simple, quick supper ready in less than thirty minutes. The fallacy that you need to open a can or use a mix is just that—a lie. I find that shortcuts and prepared products actually do not often make things easier, and usually take as long as doing things “right” in the first place.

　　

Ingredients

makes 12 muffins

　　4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the muffin tin

　　1 cup all-purpose flour

　　2/3 cup white or yellow cornmeal

　　1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

　　1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

　　1/4 teaspoon baking soda

　　1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about 2 ounces)

　　1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

　　1/2 cup whole milk

　　1/2 cup sour cream

　　2 large eggs

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Brush a 12-cup standard muffin tin with some of the butter.

　　

Step 2

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cheese, and cayenne; make a well in the center of the mixture.

　　

Step 3

In a second bowl or large liquid measuring cup, combine the milk, sour cream, eggs, and the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Whisk until smooth. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, using as few strokes as possible. Place a scoop of dough into each muffin cup, filling no more than two-thirds full.

　　

Step 4

Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly. Turn out of the tin and serve warm.

　　From Bon Appétit, Y’all: Recipes and Stories From Three Generations of Southern Cooking, © 2008 by Virginia Willis. Reprinted by permission of Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book from Amazon or Abe Books.