Feather Light Corn Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup whole, 2 percent fat, or 1 percent fat milk
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• Crabapple jam
• Molasses butter, recipe follows
• Strawberry butter, recipe follows

Molasses Butter:

• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter at room temperature

Strawberry Butter:

• 3 large strawberries
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar, or to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 8 muffin cups or line them with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, sift the dry ingredients together. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, then 1/3 of the melted butter, and stir gently just until incorporated. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and melted butter, being careful not to over-mix; there may be a little flour not mixed in at the end. Use an ice-cream scoop or large spoon to fill the muffin cups half full. Bake until risen, light golden brown, and firm to the touch, about 15 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes in the pan.

Molasses Butter: Cream the ingredients in a food processor or an electric mixer until fully combined. Strawberry Butter: Clean and hull the strawberries. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and cream until fully combined.

To serve, spoon a dollop of jam, or spread the compound butters onto the top of the muffins.