Blackberry Jam Cornbread Muffins

Good morning lovelies!

I know, I know, it’s Monday morning so good might not be the exact word you would use to describe the morning, but the sun is shining in Vancouver and that is enough to make me smile – even if it is a Monday :p

So is anybody else as stoked as I am about daylight savings? We just switched out clocks ahead this weekend and the extra hour of daylight yesterday evening and the prospect of the days to come getting longer and longer is definitely enough to keep me exceptionally excited for a good long while! Yayyyy daylight savings!!! (I have said it before and I will say it again… it really is the simple things that make me happy :D)

Those of you who are living in Vancouver will know just what I’m talking about when I talk about the gorgeous weather w have been having for the last few weeks. I mean really when you take a collective look at the weather we have experienced this winter, we have to admit that this was definitely a mild winter and spring is definitely kicking into gear early here! Our Cherry Blossom trees are blooming and beautiful, some of my little perennial flowers are budding and blooming to life in our garden and the temperatures this weekend reached up to 16 degrees! I find it absolutely fabulous that there were times when we were sitting out in the sunshine that I was actually warm and had to peel off my jacket to cool down a bit. Ohhh yes,,, this is my kind of weather!

So last week when I came into my kitchen to find the sunshine streaming through the windows and I opened up the windows to let a divine breeze that filled the house with the fresh smells of Spring, I couldn’t help but crave a breakfast that featured flavours that also remind me of Spring. For me, nothing says Spring quite like recipes that are laced with freshly grated orange zest – especially when it is paired with the sweetness of fresh jam. Mmmm, yes, the incredible combination of  tart ornagess with sweet jam just creates that perfect balance of flavour that awakens my senses and screams Spring baking to me.  So it is no surprise that the first thing on my Spring baking list was a recipe that incorporates both of these amazing ingredients.

This recipe is a spin off of my Grandma’s recipe for a classic cornbread and it has really become one of my favourite spring/summer time muffin recipes. Cornbread is a classic, and my Grandmothers recipe really was just perfect the way it is if what you are looking for a nice rich cornbread. However, in the spring and summer, when you are craving something a little bit more light and fruity, this is the perfect way to change up a classic recipe so that it works for you throughout the seasons.

By adding a good amount of freshly grated orange zest, swapping out some of the sugar with a bit of honey instead, and baking a dollop of sweet blackberry jam into each and everyone of these muffins, my grandmothers recipe got an amazing refresh that manages to just lighten it up and add a sweet tangyness that pairs beautifully with the cornmeal while still keeping that classic cornbread flavour.

A little known fact about me, is that I am a girl, who loves to mow down on her muffins while they are still warm from the oven with a healthy spoonful of jam that I can spread on both sides of the muffin when I break it apart to eat. So the fact that these muffins already have jam baked right into them, makes them a slam dunk in my books and the fact that the orange zested cornbread muffin is so falvourful and moist is just an added bonus.

Seriously – these muffins are positively addictive!
Check out the recipe below, and I hope you give them a try this Spring!

 

Blackberry Jam Cornbread Muffins
Makes: 12 large muffins

Things you need… 
2 3/4 cups flour
1 cup cornmeal
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
3 eggs, room temp
1 tbsp orange zest
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk, room temp
3/4 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream), room temp
1/2 cup blackberry jam

How to make…
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 1 muffin pan.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together milk and yogurt; set aside.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar, honey, eggs, orange zest and vanilla until well combined and fragrant. Whisk in butter to thoroughly combine.. Add milk & yogurt mixture and whisk to combine.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and dump the wet ingredients into the well. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold wet ingredients into the dry until well combined being careful not to over mix.

Fill each muffin hold 1/2 way up and using a spoon make a little well in the center of the batter. Spoon 1 tsp of blackberry jam into each well. Spoon additional batter over top of the jam being sure to fill the muffin holes right up to the rim.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until edges are golden brown and tops spring back to the touch.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to continue to cool.

*** Serve them up all by all by their gorgeous selves or with a healthy dollop a of my Apricot-Orange Honey Butter ! ***

There you go! A fresh take on a classic cornbread recipe that is sure to have you swooning!

These muffins are so flavourful and moist, and that fact that you have jam baked right into the muffin makes them perfect for snacking on the go! No longer will you have to carry jam around in a little container to spread on your fresh muffins … what… Is it weird that I carry jam around in my purse for emergency snack situations that require jam? Am I the only person in the world who is doing this??? Well even so, this muffin eliminates the problem of how to spread jam while you are on the go, making these the perfect muffin to pack along in lunches or for a picnic!

Not a blackberry jam fan? No problem! Just swap out the blackberry jam for your favourite flavour! I have made these muffins with basically every jam known to man kind and they always turn out fantastic! I have tried this recipe our with raspberry jam, strawberry jam, blueberry jam, orange marmalade, apricot jam – any kind of jam!!! Is it obvious yet that I am addicted to jam – well you ain’t seen nothing yet until you have seen my pantry… it may or may not be full up to to the brim with a small (large) collection of jams…

Anyways, enough about my jam addiction! I would love to hear what kinds of jam you and your family use when you try out this recipe! So please let me know how they turn out!

Oh! And make sure you don’t forget to whip up a batch of Apricot-Orange Honey Butter  to make these muffins even more irresistible! I mean if you thought these muffins were already irresistible… just wait until you get spreadin’ that Apricot Honey Butter on them… game over!

Do oranges and jam remind you of Spring too?? What flavours remind you and your family of Spring? I would love to hear about them 🙂

Happy Spring Baking!

KP