Corn Dog Muffins and Honey Cornbread Muffins - Two Recipes

This first recipe was inspired by a conversation with my mom.  We were talking about making cornbread and the conversation drifted to the obscene quantity of veggie dogs that I have in my freezer.  We finished talking and hung up, but apparently her brain was still working.  She called me back and said just two words: "corn dogs".  Confused, I asked her to explain.  She thought that it would be a great idea to make corn dogs with the left over veggie dogs since I would have leftover cornmeal after I finished making my cornbread.  We continued talking and decided that it would be a great idea to bake the veggie dogs into cornbread muffins.  I suggested adding cheese and the following recipe was born.

Corn Dog Muffins

1 cup cornmeal (regular, fine, or coarse grind)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
4 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 cup Milk (I used goat milk)
1/2 stick of softened butter (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup shredded cheese
4 veggie dogs (any brand)


Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Combine cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, and baking powder.  Add egg, milk, and butter.  Beat until smooth (about 1 minute - do not overbeat).  Gently mix in cheese.

Portion out into a standard muffin pan which has been lined with paper cups.  Cut each veggie dog into thirds and place 1/3 of a veggie dog in each muffin.  Cover the veggie dog with batter.  (For smaller veggie dogs, you may be able to fit 1/2 of a veggie dog into each muffin).

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until browned.  Makes about 12 muffins.

This recipe feels like something that would be served at a 1950's barbecue, and they are fun to eat.  They would be great served with mustard and/or ketchup.

I used Veggie Patch veggie dogs, but I wish I had used one of the brands with a more substantial flavor.  





Honey Cornbread Muffins

 
1 1/2 cup cornmeal (regular, fine, or coarse grind)
1 cup of whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1 cup milk (I used goat milk)
1/2 stick of softened butter (1/4 cup)



Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Combine cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder.  Add honey, eggs, milk, and butter.  Beat until smooth (about 1 minute - do not overbeat).

Portion out into a standard muffin pan which has been lined with paper cups.  These muffins do not rise a lot, so you can fill the cups more than other muffin recipes.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Makes approximately 12 muffins.

I developed this recipe by combining a couple of recipes.  I like my cornbread to be slightly sweet, so I created a recipe with a good bit of honey.  They turned out perfectly sweet with a soft texture.


If you would like a muffin that is less sweet, use only 1 Tbsp of honey and eliminate one of the eggs.