This is a recipe I used to make at the bakery/coffee shop I was baking for in Brooklyn just before my husband and I left to move up to the beautiful northwest corner. I tried it a couple of times in the bakery once we took over, but I think it was a little too wacky for us back then — we were still transitioning from old owners, and I don’t think it quite fit in with what we’re doing. Now I bake corn muffins every morning and people absolutely love them, and I’ve been toying with the idea of trying this out again — it’s such a great all-in-one breakfast, and people are always wowed by the concept the first time they see them. This is a different cornbread recipe than the one I make every day — it’s a little thicker so that it will hold its own against the boiled eggs. —Audrey Leary, Blackberry River Baking Co.
Egg in a Cornhole Muffins
Makes 6-8 large muffins
2 cups flour
2 cups cornmeal (I prefer to use a stone-ground one for some texture, but anything will work.)
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups sour cream
1 cup browned butter (I put butter in a cake pan and stick it in a pre-heating oven, then pull it out once it’s browned and fragrant.)
4 eggs
6-8 boiled eggs (I like to aim for soft boiled so the yolk is still a little runny, but cook to your preference), cooled and peeled
paprika, mustard powder, grated cheese and sea salt flakes (optional, to garnish)
1. In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. Separately, mix together sour cream, browned butter and eggs — if the butter is still hot, mix it with the sour cream first so that the eggs don’t scramble when you whisk them in. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry, stopping as soon as combined.
2. Get some jumbo muffin cups and a jumbo cupcake tin, or alternately (as we do at the bakery) some small pannetone molds. Drop a heaping spoonful of the corn batter in, about 1/3 of the way up the cup, and then place a hard-boiled egg on top, right in the middle. It helps if the egg has been toweled off so that it’s very dry on the outside. Take another heaping spoonful of the cornbread batter and place it on top, using your fingers to push it down the sides of the egg and carefully covering the top of the egg. Repeat, then top all of the muffins with your choice of garnish (I use mustard powder and paprika for a little spice and color, grated Parmesan for a cheesy crunch and salt because, you know, salt.)
Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until the muffins have risen, browned and feel firm to the touch. Cut them in half while still hot and enjoy! I served these with sriracha butter. They’re also great for the next couple of days, grilled and buttered, and make an awesome breakfast on-the-go.