I started making these muffins when I was a teenager, newly vegetarian and searching for sources of iron. Molasses is high in iron, I read, as are dried apricots and dark green leafy vegetables. Alright.

So I found this recipe in the Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Molly Katzen which I was learning to cook from at the time. I switched out the regular flour for millet flour because I was in love with it at the time. I still am actually. Millet feels like “real food” to my body, as do these muffins. They are hearty. Their texture changes a lot depending on the grind of the flour and cornmeal you use. If you use finer flours they will turn out fluffier. If you use coarsely ground meals and flour like I do, they will have a more crumbly structure. I’m eating one right now and trying to find the words to describe the texture. It’s hard because I am going into my happy muffin place. These are tinged with the dark sweetness of molasses and that flavour collects and caramelizes on the muffin top. Their flavour is also a touch sour, depending on what kind of dairy you use. My yogurt is quite sour so I’m getting that flavour more. The word for these muffins is earthy. They are earthy and delicious and I always want to eat a lot of them.

Ingredients:

• butter or oil for the muffin tin
• 1-1/2 c. millet flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• a scant 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 c. yellow cornmeal
• 1-1/2 c. milk/buttermilk/yogurt/what have you
• 1 egg
• 5 Tbsp. melted butter
• 4 Tbsp. dark molasses
• 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
• dash of cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375 F, lightly grease 12 muffin cups.
2. Sift or stir together dry ingredients then stir in cornmeal and make a well at the center
3. In a separate bowl, beat remaining ingredients together.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just to combine.
5. Fill muffin cups to edge of pan. Bake 15-20 min. or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove muffins from pan immediately and let cool for 10 min.