Honey Corn Muffins.

I've made cornbread twice before; the first time it was too savoury (I like my cornbread to have a sweet kick) but the second time I hit the nail on the head and it was perfect.   I made it in a square tin and cut it into chunks, just like you get in pancake restaurants and cute little diners.  It was just sweet enough, with a hint of honey, soft and moist and moreish.  I haven't chanced it again since then, for fear I'd never get it quite the same.

S bought me a gift card for Michaels as a birthday gift (so much love <3) and since I didn't have a lot of baking equipment, I bought myself a very nice muffin tin.  And since I bought myself a very nice muffin tin, I figured I needed to take it for a test drive.  And since cornmeal is beautifully cheap in America, it all clicked perfectly into place.  Time to see if I could recreate the deliciousness of my second batch.

I couldn't resist the floral swirls of those cupcake cases, also from Michaels.  The muffins looked very, very pretty.  They smelled beyond awesome.  My whole apartment was a cloud of warm, honey-kissed yum.  I waited very patiently for them to cool and for S to finish work so we could enjoy them with a batch of soup.  I was so excited.

And then I discovered that MY STOVE SUCKS.  Well, it doesn't suck, really.  I suck for completely forgetting that there is only one rack in the oven, that it isn't fan assisted and that all the heat comes from an element right on the bottom.  My one rack in my tiny oven was too close to the heat and, devastatingly, the bottom of my muffins was overcooked, chewy and pretty...ehh.

BUT!  Not to be discouraged, S and I peeled the cases away, discarded the too-cooked bases and nommed happily on the rest of the muffin.  I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty they were, considering I might have eyeballed the recipe more than I usually do.  S said they were good too, and if he doesn't like something he isn't afraid to tell me.

I have learned my lesson; it doesn't matter where the rack is for pasta bakes, lasagnes or roasting a chicken, but it's got to be high when baking delicate things like cupcakes.  No-one wants an overdone bottom, right?  That's what I thought.

Love, K.