Festive and very delicious:
raspberry and cornmeal muffins with a touch of lemon zest.

I prefer my muffins small…and these were perfect. The cornmeal makes them crunchy, and the raspberries “dissolve” when cooking.

 

I was going to post this just before Christmas, thus the mini colored balls. Hmm. Somehow it was delayed…

 

 

Here’s the recipe for all to enjoy:

RASPBERRY CORN MUFFINS
 
 
Author:
Recipe type: Baked Goods
Serves: 15 small muffins
Ingredients
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbls. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1½ tbls. finely grated lemon zest
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 whole large egg
  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • 1½ sticks. unsalted butter, melted
  • 2-3 tbls. course, or granulated, sugar
  • paper or foil muffin cup liners
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line 15 (1/3-cup) muffin cups with liners, dividing evenly between 2 pans (muffins cook more evenly with empty cups among them).
  2. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and zest in a large bowl. Whisk together butter, milk, yolks, and whole egg and stir into flour mixture until just combined.
  3. Gently stir in berries and divide batter evenly among cups (each cup will be about three fourths full).
  4. Bake in middle of oven (or upper and lower thirds if necessary) 10 minutes, then sprinkle tops evenly with sanding sugar. Bake muffins until tops are golden and a tester comes out clean, about 7 minutes more. Remove muffins from pans and cool on a rack.

As I say, I prefer smaller muffins, but this could be made in any size muffin tin.
And be sure to sprinkle the tops with sugar about half way through baking: it makes them crunchy and sparkly.

Very easy to eat, I guarantee!