Bacon-Thyme Corn Muffin Tops Recipe
By
Kate Ramos
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Muffin tops were a big thing on Seinfeld, and understandably so: They’re crunchy yet soft, and the best part of the muffin. They’re also the ideal item to dunk in bisque.
What to buy: Muffin top pans can be found at specialty kitchen stores, but if you can’t get your hands on one, a regular 12-well muffin pan will work, too (baking times remain the same).
This recipe was featured as part of our Festivus menu.
INGREDIENTS
- 6 ounces bacon, cooked, crumbled, drippings reserved (1/2 cup crumbled)
- 1 cup fine stone-ground yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup low-fat buttermilk, well shaken
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat the wells of 2 6-well muffin top pans or 1 standard 12-well muffin pan with bacon drippings (or vegetable oil); set aside.
- Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl and whisk to aerate and break up any lumps.
- In a medium bowl, combine butter, buttermilk, eggs, and thyme and whisk until incorporated and smooth.
- Add wet ingredients to dry, stirring just until incorporated, about 1 minute. Divide batter evenly (about 1/3 cup) among the wells, and sprinkle about 1 heaping teaspoon of bacon over each muffin top.
- Bake muffin tops until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let sit in the pans 5 minutes before removing.
I think the first comment is correct...cut off the top...use the "stump" for
stuffing or to feed the birds. However, making stuffing sounds too much like having a holiday traditional food !
@ cuccubear:
She says she uses a special pan to get just the muffin tops. And I have a feeling if you don't have the special pan you just pour in less batter in each muffin pan (not too sure).
Love that episode...but in this case, it’s not specified, but I assume you slice the muffin top off the stump, then serve. Might you then save the stumps for cornbread stuffing?