These savory muffins combine juicy courgette with sweet corn, sharp cheddar and a gentle kick of jalapeño. Delicious for lunch with a fresh tomato salad, and handy to take with you.
Courgette has a mild flavor and contains a lot of moisture. That makes it ideal for a soft muffin, but too much moisture can make the batter heavy and soggy. Coarsely grate the courgette, then squeeze it firmly over the sink or in a clean tea towel. The weight before squeezing is listed in the ingredients; how much courgette is left depends on the vegetable. Let the squeezed shreds fall loosely into the batter rather than pressing them into a compact ball.
Corn adds little sweet kernels that make a pleasant contrast with the savory cheddar. Use drained canned or jarred corn, or cooked corn kernels; pat them dry if they are very wet. Cheddar melts into the batter and gives it a rich, slightly sharp flavor. Mature cheddar adds more character, but a milder cheddar works too. Jalapeño brings warmth without overpowering the courgette and corn. Remove the seeds and membranes for a milder muffin, and taste pickled jalapeño first to check how hot it is.
The batter should be thick, not smooth or runny. Mix the wet ingredients first, then briefly fold in the flour. Stop as soon as no dry flour is visible: mixing for too long develops gluten and can make the crumb tough. Use a muffin tin with paper liners, or grease the cups well. Fill them evenly so the muffins bake at the same time. The oven needs to be fully preheated; the hot air helps the baking powder work quickly and colors the edges.
Courgette is widely available in the Netherlands, especially during the warmer months, but these muffins don’t depend on a very specific season. In summer, they go well with ripe tomatoes; out of season, serve them with a simple salad of firm tomatoes or cucumber. A splash of lemon juice or vinegar in the dressing balances the cheese nicely. Serve the muffins warm or at room temperature, for lunch or with a bowl of soup.
Let leftover muffins cool and store them covered in the refrigerator; eat them within three days. Warm them before serving in a low-temperature oven or briefly in the microwave, until they are hot all the way through. You can also freeze them once they have cooled completely. Thaw them in the refrigerator or heat them straight from the freezer; the oven will make the edges a little firmer again.
Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan). Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line the cups with paper liners.
Coarsely grate the courgette and squeeze out as much moisture as possible with your hands or in a clean tea towel. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and pepper. In a second bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and oil.
Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and stir briefly. Fold in the courgette, corn, cheddar and jalapeño until just combined; don’t mix any longer than necessary.
Divide the batter among the 12 cups. Bake the muffins for 22–25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out without wet batter on it.
Leave the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, for example with tomato salad.
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