Annie Mae Jones' Cornmeal Muffins

These cornmeal muffins are pure Southern: no flour, no sugar, just cornmeal, buttermilk, an egg, and a tablespoon and a half each of butter and shortening. The recipe comes from Annie Mae Jones, the kind of heritage Southern home cook whose recipes get passed down through church cookbooks and handwritten family cards rather than fancy magazines.

The crispy edges and bottom are the defining feature, and the technique is right in the directions: grease the muffin tins with shortening and put the empty tins in the oven to heat before pouring in the batter. The hot fat sears the bottom of each muffin on contact, creating a golden crust that contrasts with the tender, almost crumbly cornmeal interior.

Buttermilk and baking soda do the leavening. The acid in the buttermilk reacts with the soda the moment they meet, so once you stir, you have to move fast. Don’t make this batter ahead.

Pro Tips

• Use stone-ground cornmeal for the most flavor, the more processed degerminated cornmeal produces blander muffins
• The ‘rough appearance’ the directions call for means lumps are correct, smooth batter develops too much structure and the muffins go tough
• Cast iron muffin pans work better than aluminum, the heavy iron retains heat and crisps the bottoms more aggressively
• Don’t fill the muffin cups all the way, three-quarters full prevents overflow during the rise
• Eat warm with butter and jam, these go from glorious to dry within a couple of hours

Variations

• Add 1 jalapeño chopped fine and ½ cup of grated cheddar for cheese-and-pepper cornmeal muffins
• Stir in ½ cup of corn kernels for sweetness against the savory base
• Top each muffin with a pinch of crisp bacon bits before baking