A sweet-heat flavor twist makes cornbread muffins more festive with the addition of cranberries and jalapeños. Two kinds of corn give these muffins extra corn flavor.
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. Country Crock® Original Butter Spread, divided
3 jalapeños, 1 thinly sliced into rounds, 2 seeded and diced
1 can (15.25 oz.) Del Monte® Whole Kernel Corn, well drained, divided
1 2/3 cups fresh or frozen Ocean Spray® Cranberries, divided
2 pkg. (8.5 oz. each) corn muffin mix
1 can (14.75 oz.) Del Monte® Cream Style Corn
2 large eggs
Preheat oven to 400°F. Generously grease 18 wells in two standard-size muffin tins with 2 Tbsp. spread. Set aside jalapeño rounds, 1/3 cup of corn kernels and 2/3 cup of cranberries to top the muffins before baking.
Melt 1/4 cup spread in a large microwave-safe bowl. Stir in diced jalapeños, remaining corn kernels, remaining 1 cup cranberries, corn muffin mix, cream style corn and eggs; batter will be slightly lumpy.
Divide batter between the 18 muffin wells (about 1/3 cup each). Divide corn, jalapeño and cranberry toppings evenly among muffin batter.
Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown and wooden pick inserted in a center muffin comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans. Run a thin knife around each muffin to loosen before removing from pans.
TIP: If you only have 1 muffin tin, bake in 2 rounds. Let the muffin tin cool, then wash, dry and grease the tin again. Stir batter before filling pan.
VARIATION: For Skillet Cranberry Jalapeño Corn Bread, heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet in a preheated 400°F oven 10 minutes. Reserve toppings and mix batter as recipe directs. Remove hot skillet from oven; add 2 Tbsp. Country Crock® Original Butter Spread. When melted, use a paper towel to quickly grease bottom and sides of pan. Pour batter evenly into prepared skillet and top with reserved jalapeño, corn and cranberries. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until deep golden brown and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes before cutting.