Ingredients (makes 1 dozen muffins or 1 10-inch skillet cornbread):

• Dry mix:

  • 1 Cup corn meal (finely ground)
  • 3/4 Cup almond meal (sup with sorghum flour if allergic to almonds)
  • 1/4 Cup arrowroot starch (may sub with tapioca starch or potato STARCH – not flour!)
  • 1 Tablespoon xanthan gum (if you cannot tolerate xanthan, sub 1:1 with ground chia seeds
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle powder (I LOVE chipotle & used 3 teaspoons.)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (sounds odd?  chipotle + cinnamon = foodgasm)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Optional: 1-2 jalapeno peppers, diced

• Wet mix:

  • 1 Cup HOT water
  • 1/2 Cup apple sauce
  • 1/2 Cup brown sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 35o degrees Fahrenheit.  In a large mixing bowl combine your dry ingredients and whisk to combine.  In a large measuring cup measure out your hot water and add your brown sugar, whisk to dissolve the sugar.  Add your sugar water (Men in Black anyone?!) & apple sauce to your dry mix and stir until smooth.
2. Add paper liners to your muffin tin and grease them.  I realized I didn’t have any liners on hand (GASP!!!) so I cut up parchment paper for a rustic look (I think they came out pretty cute).  Fill your muffin tins 3/4 way full (I used an ice-cream scooper to ensure even measurement).  Pop your muffins in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Be sure to insert a toothpick into the center to ensure they are baked all the way through! Let cool before serving.
3. If you are making these in a 10-inch cast iron skillet, grease your skillet and pour your batter into your skillet. Pop it in the oven for 25-30 minutes.  Be sure to insert a toothpick into the center to ensure they are baked all the way through!  Let cool before serving.  (Know what I absolutely love?  Grilled cornbread.  Sounds weird? Don’t knock it until you try it!!).

4. Enjoy eating whole!