Corn Muffins
Baking bread at Lammas goes to the
heart of the holiday. It is the first harvest of the year, the
gathering of wheat. As the first of the three harvests, Lammas presages autumn. The golden heads of cereal grains tell us so.
Barley, wheat, rye, oats, rice and maize all stood, stalwart green to
soldier brown, in field all summer. Grains mature at Lammas as the
sun gains its strength in Leo. Gold is Leo's color, for the sunshine
of high summer, for the glint of angled light at sunset, for the lion's mane, and for
those golden heads of grain.
In ancient times, grains, notably
wheat, were so sacred that the last sheaf of the harvest was not
struck by the sickle. It was left standing in field as an offering to
the hope of plenty through the upcoming celebrations of the harvest
and the lean cold months of winter. Once cereal plants grow their
seeds, they die, in a literal and symbolic cycle of the seasonal turning of the wheel. The offering of the last sheaf standing was
both in gratitude for life-sustaining grain and as an entreaty, ever
respectful, that the next two harvests – Mabon and Samhain – be
plentiful.
At Lammas, nights are arriving
noticeably earlier as Mother Earth tilts away from the Solstice
towards the Equinox. In the perfect turning of the wheel, the dark
half of the year will soon prevail. For now, though, we rest in the
golden days of Lammas. This holiday is dedicated to Demeter, Goddess
of the grain, whose Roman name Ceres gave cereal plants their
collective name. Demeter is depicted as an Earth Mother with Her arms
open to spill the abundance that becomes the autumnal cornucopia,
with plaits of flaxen hair that reflect golden heads of grain. It
is a holiday for dancing in the sunlight that is the counterpoint of
the opposite spoke of the wheel: Candlemas, the holiday of
candlelight. It is the holiday of the corn dolly, the symbol of
female plenty fashioned from corn husks. And it is the holiday of
baking breads, in celebration of the gifts of grain.
In keeping with Lammas traditions, here is the first of three recipes to celebrate these golden days: corn muffins. We serve them at breakfast slathered with butter and apple cider jelly, and serve the Hatch chile variation alongside Habanero Gold to accompany chili night.
In keeping with Lammas traditions, here is the first of three recipes to celebrate these golden days: corn muffins. We serve them at breakfast slathered with butter and apple cider jelly, and serve the Hatch chile variation alongside Habanero Gold to accompany chili night.
Corn Muffins
Cornmeal is sold by its grind; keep fine-ground in your home pantry and use it in this recipe. A six-well muffin tin is an essential for the baking pantry; click here to obtain a good one.
1 cup fine-ground yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar
- Preheat the oven 375 degrees F. Place a paper liner in each well of the muffin tin.
- Measure the cornmeal into a large mixing bowl. Sift the flour into the bowl containing the cornmeal. Measure the baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl. Mix the dry ingredients together.
- Measure the milk into a large measuring cup with a spout. Working one at a time, break each egg into the milk, then use a fork to break up the egg in the milk.
- Use a silicon spatula to mix the dry ingredients as you pour the milk-egg mixture into the bowl containing the dry ingredients. Use the spatula to get all of the milk-egg mixture into the batter. Stir the batter just until it comes together; it is okay if the batter is lumpy.
- Use the spatula to stir the batter as you pour the melted butter into the batter. Use the spatula to get all of the butter into the batter. Stir the batter just until it comes together; it is okay if the batter is lumpy.
- Divide the batter among the six muffin wells, about 1/2 cup per well.
- Sprinkle the top of each muffin with a bit of sugar.
- Bake until the muffins are cooked through and browned, approximately 20 minutes.
- Cool in the tin until ready to serve with butter and jam.
Hatch Chile Muffins: Drain one 1 oz. can Hatch chiles in a mesh strainer, shaking well to express all of the packing liquid. Stir the drained chiles into the batter after adding the melted butter. Omit the sugar and top each muffin with a sprinkling of grated Cheddar.
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