A cozy cornmeal muffin taken to the absolute next level! Coarse polenta and turbinado sugar give the soft muffins delicious texture, and berry preserves are baked directly into the muffins for a sweet surprise
*This recipe was developed and shot for Kerrygold. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.
I have been making these Sweet Polenta Muffins with Jam for over a decade. In fact, any time we have friends over for a special brunch, these muffins manage to make an appearance. They’re very humble and cozy, but the tender sweet/savory crumb enriched with sour cream, and the sweetness of the jam work so well together. I always serve them with high quality room temperature salted butter that just melts right in. Kerrygold sets the bar very high and their grass fed Irish butter is the only brand I buy. You guys, these muffins are seriously divine, and perfect for any season.
What’s the difference between polenta and cornmeal?
Is polenta the same as regular cornmeal, just packaged differently? It’s true that both products are made from ground dried corn. However, the texture and coarseness of ground polenta is perfect for making the savory Italian dish ‘polenta,’ a creamy porridge. That being said, if you can’t find polenta, go for medium or coarse ground cornmeal. Finely ground cornmeal won’t give you any of the beautiful crunch in these muffins.
Ingredients for Sweet Polenta Muffins with Jam
- Unbleached All Purpose Flour – I use unbleached all purpose flour from King Arthur Baking Company here because it give the muffins a light, tender crumb, and works very well with the coarse polenta. I would NOT substitute a whole grain flour here, as it would yield a heavier, dense muffin.
- Polenta – As mentioned above, I use a coarsely ground polenta/cornmeal for these muffins. You could use a medium ground cornmeal, but stay away from finely ground cornmeal. Youwould be missing out on the delicious crunch and texture from the polenta. You can usually find polenta in the baking aisle of grocery stores or in the natural foods section made by Bob’s red mill.
- Milk – Go for an organic whole milk if you can. If not, a nut-milk substitute like almond milk would also work nicely.
- Butter – I use melted Kerrygold salted butter for these Sweet Polenta Muffins with Jam. The added salt enhances the flavor of the polenta, and is a great contrast to the sweet jam.
- Eggs – Make sure your Large eggs are at room temperature. Room temperature eggs will incorporate into the batter much better. Forgot to take your eggs out of the fridge? No problem. Just fill a tall glass with hot water, and submerge the eggs in the hot water for about 3-4 minutes, and voila!
- Sour Cream – I use full fat sour cream for these muffins. the sour cream makes the crumb super tender and moist. If you don’t sour cream, use Greek yogurt in a pinch.
How to fill Polenta Muffins with Jam
One of the best parts about these Sweet Polenta Muffins with Jam is the surprise pocket of sweet jam in the center. In the past, I’ve made these muffins, with raspberry, blackberry, and even orange marmalade (highly recommend!). Feel free to use whichever high quality fruit preserves that you love. When you’re filling up the wells of the muffin tin, fill each well half full. Then spoon about a generous teaspoon of jam on top. Then, go back and fill each well to the top with the remaining batter. The batter will bake up around the jam, fully enclosing it.
When you’re making muffins, you want to go with a heavy well made pan that’s going to give you an even bake and last you for years. This pan from Williams Sonoma is my absolute favorite, and I’ve used it approximately 1 million times.
How to store
Like most muffins, these are best eaten fresh out of the oven. Store any leftovers that you have in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. I love to reheat them in a 350 F oven for 5-10 minutes, and they taste freshly baked.
Love these Polenta Muffins?
Be sure to check out Big Bakery Style Blueberry Muffins, Coffee Cake Banana Muffins, and Bran Orange Raisin Muffins with Toasted Coconut
I can’t wait for you all to make these muffins, and I hope they become a family tradition in your house as well. I love seeing my recipes come to life in your kitchens, so please remember to tag me in your pictures @lions.bread
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xo – LeAnne
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Sweet Polenta Muffins with Jam
A cozy cornmeal muffin taken to the absolute next level! Coarse polenta and turbinado sugar give the soft muffins delicious texture, and berry preserves are baked directly into the muffins for a sweet surprise.
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 cup coarse yellow cornmeal/polenta
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup 8 tablespoons Kerrygold salted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup milk dairy or nut milk
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 - 2/3 cup strawberry preserves or any jam you love
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners, or spray with nonstick cooking spray. If using paper liners, I like to spray the inside slightly with nonstick cooking spray to ensure the muffins don't stick to the paper.
- In a medium size bowl, combine the eggs, milk, sour cream, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and melted butter. whisk to combine thoroughly.
- In another medium size bowl, combine the all purpose flour, polenta, kosher salt, baking soda, and baking powder, whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and use a wooden spoon to combine, until there are no dry patches of flour, scraping the bottom of the bowl as you gently mix. The batter should be thick.
- Use a small ice cream scoop to scoop about 2 tablespoons of batter into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup, filling the cup about halfway full. Then spoon a generous tablespoon of strawberry preserves on top of each. Fill the cups with the remaining batter. The muffin cups will be very full, that's ok!
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown, and the centers are completely set.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes, and enjoy right away!
Recipe Notes
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for 1-2 days. Reheat the muffins in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.
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