Mini Corn Muffins & Harvest

We’re celebrating the upcoming fall harvest today in our house.  Corn Muffin Thumbprints are delicious little bites of heaven, with delicate pieces of fresh corn studding each muffin. They are baked, cooled and their cores are removed, to be ‘stuffed’ with honey butter and jam.  It is an all-in-one muffin!  These are going to make an appearance in the field for a special treat this year.  After all, one can only eat deli-sandwiches, chips and mini sized candy bars for so many meals…
Here are some pictures from last year’s harvest.  This is my Dad (don’t let the picture fool ya, this guy makes his combine look small… he’s 6’9″).

This little John Deere-Obsessed 2 year old will get his fill of tractor and combine rides this fall.  He’s my little farmer.

Anxiously awaiting her ride and checking to see how full the hopper is! (The hopper is where the grain is stored inside the combine, see it on the top? We’re FULL!) My sister will swing the grain cart around and the combine will unload into her grain cart.

Then she’ll unload that corn into the wagons that we haul to town, to our local Co-op.

Then we’re back to work!

Isn’t the corn beautiful?  We’re so lucky to have hybrids of corn that can withstand drought, rains, insects and still be productive and profitable to our family farm.

Did I really let my son’s hair get this LONG last year? Lord!

Back to the cookin’!
This recipe was awarded one of the first blue ribbons I ever took away from the Iowa State Fair (2010) cooking and baking competitions. That day I made these miniature corn muffins from scratch with a nice buttermilk batter and fresh corn. Today I’m making them more simply, with a mix and canned corn (sub fresh freezer corn, drained if you have it!).  These are so quick and easy, kid friendly and best of all they are totally customizable!  (My favorite part of any recipe.)  These are perfectly fit for a fun weekend breakfast or the spiffiest of bridal showers or baby showers.  I hope you like ’em!  Here are a few photos of the process with a complete recipe at the end of the post.

Grab your nifty $.53 package of corn muffin mix.  Prepare batter according to package instructions.  (I always have these around after the holidays.)

To the batter, add 1 C canned corn, drained. (or Freezer Corn, drained)

Add 1 tsp vanilla

Scoop the batter into greased mini muffin tins and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 8 minutes.

Remove from oven when the edges are slightly golden and the tops are somewhat firm to the touch.

After cooling a couple of minutes.  Pop them out of their pans.  Let them cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the honey butter.

Put it in a fancy piping bag or a regular zip top bag, if you wish.

Now, cut the cores out of the cooled mini muffins.  Pop ‘em into your mouth, if you wish!  We don’t need them anymore.

Pipe a bit of your flavored butter into the ‘hole’ for lack of a better term.

Fill the remaining portion of the ‘hole’ with Concord Grape Jelly (I made this jelly with my Aunt Carol using grapes off of her vines outside of her house.  One of my favorite things to do in the late summer/fall is to can that jelly with her.)

Orange marmalade works wonderfully on top of the muffins too.  So pretty.

Aren’t they cute!  You can fill some in with honey butter only, then swirl them up (I LOVE BUTTER) so they look ‘beauts’.

The orange marmalade has tons of strands of colorful zest.  I love that.

These are fit enough for ‘fancy’ but easy enough for every day.  My kind of recipe!

Totally acceptable as little dude food.

We’re getting ready for harvest this fall and I’m really excited to get back into the field.  I’m a ‘runner’ and will be spending some time in the combine this year.

Blue Ribbon Corn Muffin Thumbprints

By Cristen      www.foodandswine.com

Makes almost 2 dozen mini muffins

Prep time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 8 minutes Cool time: 10-15 minutes  Filling Time: 3 minutes

Ingredients for muffins:

1 prepackaged corn muffin mix (8.5 oz) *batter prepared to package instructions

1 C canned corn, or Freezer Corn, drained

1 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients for filling:

3 TBSP butter, softened

2 TBSP honey

3/4 C powdered sugar

Combine butter, honey and powdered sugar in a bowl, mix well.  Place in zip top bag or piping bag fitted with small star tip.  *Add ¼ tsp cinnamon if desired to make cinnamon honey butter.

Other toppings:

Orange Marmalade

Concord Grape Jam, Raspberry Jam, Mixed Berry Jam, Peach Jam or Peach Jelly etc.

Any other jam or jelly you desire

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare corn muffin batter to package instructions.  Add corn, stir well.  Scoop into well greased mini muffin tins.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Remove, cool for 2 minutes.  Turn out of pans.  Let cool completely.  Cut out tops of muffins in the centers.  Remove core.  Pipe a small amount of butter into the hole, then cover with jam or jelly of choice. You can fill entirely with honey butter as well. Serve immediately.  Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.