How can you deny muffins like that, folks? I mean, c'mon, this is serious business.

I've made these muffins a few times in the past few years. My first trial was outstanding--possibly some of the best I've ever made--but I haven't been able to make them the exact same way since. That being said, I've never complained about having to eat a blueberry muffin.

No siree. Actually, I hear punishment for such a crime is pretty gnarly..

More muffins?! Tough life.

You can put butter, margarine, jam, lemon curd, or even walnut butter on these babies.

Come to think of it, if you decided to slather your muffin in all of the above, I wouldn't judge. Because I'm not picky like that.

Or perhaps because I did just that this morning.

Oops.

Golden Cornmeal & Blueberry Muffins

These muffins are perfect for any morning. Subtly sweet, golden tender, and crunchy-crispy, with just enough pop from the blueberries to take these from a "Mmm" to a "Wow!" A cross between a blueberry muffin and cornbread, these babies are classic and homey in that they'll appeal to mainstream eaters who don't like to think they're stepping out of the box. Classic, however, doesn't mean ordinary. These muffs take things to the next level through the use of cumin and orange zest, which combine to hit an extraordinarily unique high note.

Yield: 11-12 muffins. Adapted slightly from Baking Bites' Blue Corn Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients - 1 1/4 cup unbleached wheat flour (oat flour might work here as well) - 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal - 2 tsp baking powder - 1/4 tsp baking soda - 1/4 tsp cumin - 1/4 tsp salt - 1/3 cup sugar - 1 egg - 1 egg white - 2 tsp fresh orange zest - 2 tsp vegetable oil - 3/4 cup almond milk + 2 tsp vinegar (or buttermilk) - 1 1/3 cups fresh* blueberries

(*You could use frozen blueberries if desired, but fresh seem to work better here. For whatever reason, they make it easier for the muffins to rise, instead of keeping dense.)

Directions

1) Preheat oven to convection bake at 400 degrees F. (or 425 degrees if you don't have convection). Grease a 12-cup muffin pan.

2) In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cumin, and sugar. Whisk until smooth.

3) In another medium bowl, beat egg and egg white until foamy (this is KEY in getting your muffs light and poofy!!). Add orange zest, vegetable oil, almond milk + vinegar, and beat again until well-combined and foamy. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and gently stir until the mix is smooth and...lump-less..? Let's go with smooth.

4) Fold the blueberries into the mixture, being careful not to break and bleed them.

5) Divide batter into muffin tin. Bake on convection bake at 400 degrees F (or 425 non-convection bake) for 5 minutes. Then, turn off the convection setting and bake for 7-10 more minutes at 400 degrees.

6) Slather with butter, margarine, jam, fruit spreads, or nut butters. Bite into your nugget of golden blueberry goodness. Don't worry, be happy!