For dessert, Jorge prepared another item made with cornmeal. This time, it’s a sweet cornmeal muffins.

Jorge kicked it up a notch by adding basil to it. Jorge served the Basil Cornmeal Muffins with Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce which I will post next.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups fine or medium grind yellow cornmeal
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 7 basil leaves, chopped
- 2 cups corn kernels
- 1/4 cup oil
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese for sprinkling (optional)

Source: Jorge Viduenez
Prep time: 20 minutes; Bake time: 25 minutes; Serves 12
Instructions
Mice en Place
- Preheat the oven to 400F
- Grease the muffin pan or use paper cups
In a bowl, sift together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. |
Add chopped basil leaves to the dry ingredient and mix well. |
In another bowl, combine the oil, eggs and buttermilk. |
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stir just until moistened, no more than 15 to 20 stroke. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Add the corn kernels; stir until they are evenly distributed. |
Spoon the batter into each muffin cup, filling it level with the rim of the cup. Sprinkle each muffin with some Parmesan cheese, optional.Bake in the 400F preheated oven until golden and springy to the touch, about 25 minutes. A tooth pick inserted into the center of the muffin should comes out dry.
Remove from the oven, let them rest for 5 minutes and remove from the muffin pan to cool on a cooling rack. |