Spoonbread Muffins with Bacon Butter
Yields: 12 muffins
 
Ingredients
  • Bacon butter:
  • 6 slices bacon
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Muffins:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup stone-ground cornmeal
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 1⁄4 cups Creamed Corn (see link to recipe above)
  • 1⁄2 cup whole milk
  • 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 large egg whites
Instructions
  1. For bacon butter: In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon, and let drain on paper towels, reserving 1⁄4 cup drippings in a bowl. Let bacon cool completely; crumble.
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together crumbled bacon, butter, and salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
  3. Preheat oven to 425°. Pour 1 teaspoon bacon drippings into 12 muffin cups. Place in oven until drippings are very hot, about 8 minutes.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1⁄4 cups Creamed Corn, milk, melted butter, and egg. Make a well in center of dry ingredients. Add milk mixture, stirring just until moistened. In another medium bowl, beat egg whites with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into batter. Carefully divide batter among muffin cups.
  5. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 12 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cups; remove muffins. Serve warm with bacon butter.
Recipe by Taste of the South at https://tasteofthesouthmagazine.com/spoonbread-muffins-bacon-butter/