Cheesy Corn Muffins

I seem to have muffins on the brain, which is odd, because I rarely EVER bake. And - I just found the last of the 'Nacho Cheese-Teese Sauce' (from the great Teese recipe Challenge) stuck away in the freezer. Now, I have no idea if the fine Teese people recommend that you freeze the stuff or not, but it appeared to survive the Ice Age with no harm done.

Since I had cornbread muffins on the brain anyway, I simply melted the Teese and substituted it for part of the oil/milk. It really made the muffins moist, dense and just "cheesy" enough to compliment the other flavors.

Of course, you could substitute any "meltable" vegan cheese here.

Cheesy Corn Muffins

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup rice milk or soymilk
• 1/4 cup olive oil or melted margarine
• 1/2 a 'tube' 'Teese' Nacho-Cheese sauce (aprox 1 cup?) or equal amount other vegan cheese
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon maple or rice syrup, (or agave which I dislike, and it dislikes me as well)
• 1 jalapeño minced (or to taste)
• 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup corn kernels, patted dry (fresh raw, thawed from frozen or canned *gasp* yes indeed, I said canned!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Grease (fairly heavily with coconut oil or Earth Balance) a standard 12-muffin tin.
Combine the dry ingredients--cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Melt the Teese in the microwave or mix with margarine and melt on the stove if you're opposed to microwaves like I am. (The aliens and all... you know...).

Anyway.

Stir in the wet ingredients--soymilk, margarine/'Teese' mixture, vinegar, and maple syrup.
Gently fold in jalapeño, corn and cilantro.
Pour batter into muffin tins, slightly over 1/2 full.

Should make 12 muffins.

Bake for 18 minutes (more or less, depending on the type of muffin tins you have, your oven, the humidity and altitude and whatever other variables you can think of) until the sides begin brown and slightly pull away from the edge of the pan and wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Serve warm with margarine and honey (*gasp*) KIDDING or whatever you might use instead of honey...