Time: 10 minutes to make, 20 to bake

These muffins are tender, lightly sweetened, and richly flavored — something of an improved Yankee cornbread with a crisp 360 patina. They get in and out of the oven in a snap and reheat beautifully—even in the microwave.

Equipment Mise en Place
For this recipe you will need a standard-size muffin tin, a small saucepan, a large mixing bowl, a whisk, and a 4-cup liquid measuring cup for portioning (if you have one).

Ingredients
Vegetable oil spray—or additional vegetable oil for greasing the pan
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups whole milk
1 1/4 cups (6.25 ounces) Anson Mills Fine White or Yellow Cornmeal
1 1/2 cups (7.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1.75 ounces) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions
1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray or paint a standard-size 12-muffin tin with vegetable oil spray and set aside.

2. Heat the butter and oil in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter melts. Pour the milk into the saucepan, stir and remove the pan from the heat. Set aside. Turn the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk lightly until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened—do not overwork. The batter should be flowing but not runny. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the batter into a 4-cup liquid measuring cup if you have one and pour it evenly into the prepared tin. Otherwise spoon the batter evenly into the tin. Bake until the muffins are nicely risen and brown around the edges, and test clean with a toothpick, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Lift the muffins from the tin and serve them warm with butter and honey or maple syrup.

Makes 12 muffins