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| Yeasted Corn Muffins |
About Elizabeth Ellicott Lea ELizabeth Ellicott Lea was born in Ellicott City , Maryland in 1793. Lea was from a prominent Quaker family who was instrumental in establishing Ellicott City. In 1812 , Lea married Thomas Lea who was from a prominent Quaker family north of Wilmington , Delaware where the Leas owned flour mills. Elizabeth and her husband spent the first ten years of their marriage in Delaware and then moved to Sandy Spring , Maryland in 1823 and started a farm known as Walnut Farm and operated a successful apple orchard there. Elizabeth E. Lea first published Domestic Cookery , Useful Receipts , and Hints to Young Housekeepers in 1845.
The Recipe:
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| Domestic Cookery by E. Lea , 1869 edition |
This recipe was very challenging to get to work properly. The ingredients are vague to say the least so it took me several attempts with different amounts of cornmeal , flour , yeast , etc. I may not have produced the results Lea would have wanted but they are tasty.
About Cornmeal
It is very important to use stone-ground cornmeal for this recipe. Stone-ground cornmeal is sweeter and more flavorful than commercially roller-milled processed corn. Roller mills remove the corn kernals' fiber and nutrient-rich bran and germ. When cornmeal is ground the old-fashioned way using stones , the whole corn kernel is ground , including the bran and germ. Even if the fibrous bran and germ is sifted out , its flavors commingle with the endosperm (the fine part of the corn we like to eat) and give the corn and complex and rich taste. Likewise , the roller-milling process also yields cornmeal with far fewer nutrients. As a result , roller-milled cornmeals need to be "enriched" with vitamins. So , the processing method strips of the corn of its natural nutrients and they need to be added back in. Therefore , skip the enriched and degermed cornmeal and choose stone-ground instead!
Corn Muffins: Modern Recipe Adaptation
Yield: About 18 muffins
Ingredients:
- 2 Cups Whole or Reduced 2% Fat Milk
- 1.5 Cups Stone-Ground Cornmeal (Yellow or White)
- 1 Teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
- 1 Cup Whole Grain Pastry Flour
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Large Egg
Directions:
- Heat the milk to 105º - 115º F.
- In a large bowl , whisk the yeast into the cornmeal.
- Add the heated milk to the cornmeal/yeast mixture and whisk together very well.
- Add the flour and salt and whisk. Then , add the egg.
- Cover the bowl and set in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour.
- Grease two muffin pans with oil. Place them in the oven and heat to 375º F.
- Spoon 1/4 cup of the batter into each muffin cup , filling them about half-way.
- Bake for 12 minutes , until the tops are dry and set.
