MINI JALAPENO MUFFINS
FROM THE BAYOU, PARKLAND

8 whole pickled jalapeno chilies
1 tablespoon jalapeno pickling liquid, plus more to taste
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons honey

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter 2 (24-cup) mini-muffin pans.

Cut the stems from the jalapenos and pulse them in a food processor to finely chop. Add the pickling liquid, and process to make a smooth puree, scraping down the sides as needed. You need 1/3 cup of the puree; save any extra for another use or discard.

In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, and stir to blend.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the milk, 1/3 cup jalapeno puree and honey until well-blended. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just to blend. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pans, not quite to the top (about 1 tablespoon per muffin).

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 12 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving warm. Or cool completely and seal in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Makes 4 dozen mini-muffins or 2 dozen regular muffins
Source: The Northwest Best Places Cookbook Volume 2 by Cynthia C. Nims