Golden Cornmeal Muffins

These make a good, comforting snack! I hope you'll think so too. From Chatelaine magazine.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups cornmeal
• 1 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3⁄4 teaspoon ground mace (optional)
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 2  eggs
• 2  cups buttermilk (or 2 tablespoons white vinegar, plus milk to equal 2 cups)
• 3⁄4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1⁄4 cup  melted butter or 1⁄4 cup  vegetable oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F Cornmeal muffins tend to stick to paper liners and to cups coated with nonstick spray. So generously grease 12 muffin cups.
2. Using a fork, stir cornmeal with flour, baking powder, baking soda, mace and salt in a large bowl. Whisk eggs inn a small bowl and stir in buttermilk, brown sugar and butter. Stir into flour mixture just until combined. Some small lumps will remain.
3. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling to brims. Bake in center of preheated oven until golden and a cake tester inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean, about 15 to 18 minutes. Cool muffins in cups for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack. Serve hot with honey. Store muffins in a sealed bag or container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Or refrigerate or preferably freeze.
4. Variations-Hot Pepper: Prepare muffins, reducing brown sugar to 1/3 cup. Stir 1 seeded and finely chopped jalapeno pepper and 4 strips crumbled crispy bacon, or 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh coriander and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper into batter. Bake according to recipe.
5. Double Corn 'n' Cheddar: Prepare muffins, reducing brown sugar to 1/3 cup. Stir 2/3 cup kernel corn (frozen or canned, drained) and 1/3 cup grated old cheddar or Swiss cheese into batter. Sprinkle tops of muffins with another 1/3 cup grated cheese. Bake according to recipe.