Corn muffins recipe

Ideal for packed lunches, picnics, or party food, these corn muffins are so simple to make at home taking just 20 minutes to prep.

These tasty corn muffins are flavoured with Cheddar cheese. Unlike our sweetcorn muffins, these muffins with ham and infused with a hint of Dijon mustard. These corn muffins are also made with quick-cook Polenta grains, also known as cornmeal. This recipe makes 12 muffins.

Ingredients

• 100g mature Cheddar cheese
• 125g quick-cook Polenta grains (cornmeal)
• 175g self-raising flour
• 2tsps baking powder
• 150ml milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 rounded teaspoon of Dijon mustard
• 4tbsps sunflower oil
• 100g sweetcorn, drained
• 1-2 slices of ham, torn into small pieces

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Ask your child to put a paper case into each hole of the muffin tin while you coarsely grate the cheese onto a plate.
2. Grab a large mixing bowl (this will be your dry bowl) and get your child to add the polenta, flour and baking powder into the bowl. (My little boy was a little worried when we added the polenta as we use it in place of sand for indoor play. - I don't think he liked the idea of sandy muffins)!!
3. We want the muffins to be cheesy, so scrape the cheese into the dry bowl and ask your little one to give everything a good old mix to combine!
4. Now for the wet bowl (or you could use a measuring jug). You may need to help with this part, depending on how old your child is. The milk, eggs, mustard and oil have to be measured into the wet bowl. I'm sure the little people won't need any help when it comes to beating the mixture together with a fork! My little boy has been able to whisk with a fork since he was less than 18 months old, so don't be afraid to let even the youngest child have a try (however try to avoid the fork going into the mouth as raw eggs aren't good for their tummies).
5. Pour the milk mixture into the polenta mixture and stir until just mixed. Lumps are fine; in fact they are seen as a positive in a muffin mixture. Add the drained sweetcorn and the ham. If you have a ham lover like me watch your child like a hawk as they tear up the ham and there might not be much left for the muffins.
6. Try to avoid helping your child as they add dripping blobs of mixture to the awaiting paper cases. It will undoubtedly end up all over the tray as well as the cases; just keep smiling! Bake the muffins for 15 to 20 minutes until they are well risen and golden brown.
7. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool down. The muffins are best served warm and spread with butter. They are best eaten the day they are made. However, if you remove the paper cases from any leftovers they freeze really well. I just warm them through before serving.

Top tips for making corn muffins

You can use turkey, beef, or chicken slices instead of ham if your child prefers

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