Herbed Cheese and Corn Muffins with Sweet and Hot Cream Cheese Spread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I made a pork posolé for dinner tonight. I've featured it before and the recipe I use to make it can be found here. While it bubbled away in the crock-pot, I decided to give these special corn muffins a try. I found the recipe in Food and Wine magazine and I thought the muffins would be a perfect accompaniment to some of the spicy winter soups and stews the Silver Fox loves. While I tend to be a purist, I must admit these are delicious and the guy I made them for thought they were a "triumph". He really said that. I do so rue the day he first read Dickens. Judgments here are never simply described and what comes from my kitchen gets labeled in grandiose Victorian terms, even when a simple "good" might be more fitting. They are, after all, just corn muffins and no one expects them to rock the world. That said, they are a bit different and if you are looking for a new recipe, you might want to give this version a try. There is nothing here not to like, so I do hope you will enjoy them. Here's how they are made.

Herbed Cheese and Corn Muffins with Sweet and Hot Cream Cheese Spread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup stone-ground cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1-1/4 cups), divided use
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup canola oil, plus more for brushing
2 jalapeños
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup hot pepper jelly

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and spray a 12-cup muffin tin with baking spray.
2) In a medium bowl, whisk flour and cornmeal with baking powder, sugar and salt. Lightly stir in 1 cup of the cheddar cheese and chives.
3) In a small bowl, whisk milk with the egg and the 1/4 cup of canola oil. Fold liquid ingredients into dry ingredients just until evenly moistened. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese.
4) Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until muffins are springy and golden. Let muffins cool for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack to cool.
5) Meanwhile, brush jalapeños lightly with oil and roast directly over a gas flame or under the broiler, turning, until lightly charred, about 5 minutes. Transfer chiles to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
Peel, seed and finely chop jalapeños. Mix them with cream cheese and pepper jelly. Serve muffins with pepper jelly cream cheese. Yield: 12 muffins.

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