Okay, don’t laugh, but about a decade or more ago, I received a cookbook entitled Cooking with Friends as a gift. Friends, as in Rachel, Monica, Chandler, etc. The book, however, was a pleasant surprise, containing many recipes that I’ve made repeatedly over the years. One of my favorites is a recipe for corn muffins. A little different in texture than traditional Southern corn bread, I like to serve these with soups, chili, jambalaya, and the like.
For the dry ingredients, stir together 1 cup of flour, 3/4 cup of cornmeal, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Beat together 10 tablespoons (1 & 1/4 sticks) of melted unsalted butter and 1 large egg. Stir in 1 & 1/4 cups of slightly warmed milk. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Be sure not to overmix.
Spoon the batter into a 12-cup muffin pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake until lightly browned, and the muffins pass the toothpick test (about 20 to 25 minutes). Cool for 5 minutes before serving. These are definitely best served warm.
If you want to spice things up, add 1 or 2 stemmed and minced jalapeno peppers. I don’t usually do that, but I do like to add some freshly ground pepper, Cajun seasoning, or some other spice to the batter.
August 28th, 2006 at 12:24 pm
Hi! I *just* found your website today and was browsing your recipes when I saw that you, like me, have the Cooking with Friends cookbook. My friends make fun of me for owning it! I’ve been making the Chocolate-Peanut Butter bars for years and they always get an enthusiastic response (even though I secretly substitute applesauce for half the butter). I’ll have to try the corn muffin recipe next. I really like your blog, I’ll be back!
August 28th, 2006 at 5:31 pm
I’m glad you found me, Liz! I’ll have to check out those chocolate-peanut butter bars. That’s one of my favorite combinations!
November 17th, 2006 at 11:09 am
Hi Jennifer. I think I may try these, but I have a question. My family likes corn in their cornbread (I don’t, so I’m happy with this recipe as is)…have you added corn to this recipe ever? If you haven’t, do you have any suggestions on how to go about doing that?
November 17th, 2006 at 12:04 pm
Hilary, if it were me, I’d add in a can of creamed corn and decrease the butter to maybe 8 tablespoons and the milk to 1 cup. The consistency should be a bit different, but I think it would work. You’ll probably get more than a dozen of them, too. Of course, I’ve never tried doing this, so you might want to give it a test run.
November 17th, 2006 at 3:45 pm
Thanks! If I have time, I’ll give it a test run.
October 1st, 2007 at 4:39 am
I too have the cookbook! I’ve made these corn muffins dozens of times. Another good recipe in there is Phoebe’s Oatmeal Rasin cookies.
October 1st, 2007 at 9:19 pm
Laura, I have made those cookies many times myself. I hadn’t thought about them in years. I may have to dust off that book again!
December 4th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
Umm.. what’s the temperature the oven should be set at for baking these corn muffins?
December 4th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
I guess that would be important, Wie. 375 degrees. Sorry!
May 17th, 2008 at 9:01 am
The Cooking With Friends book is my little secret. I love the corn muffins and several others. My favorite pancake recipe is in there. Seriously the fluffiest and tastiest around!
May 17th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Mike, I also like the oatmeal raisin cookies, although I haven’t made them in years.
August 6th, 2009 at 9:58 am
OMG!!! I had the book YEARS ago and I ALWAYS made these muffins because i preferred them to any others I had tried… I then LOST my book and thought I’d never find the recipe again! THANK YOU for posting it!
any chance I could get the easy lentil soup with turmeric that’s in it as well? 
I used to love that soup!!!