Corn Cake Muffins

I am a Yankee,  so I know very little about Sweet Corn Cake. (Never mind the fact that I have never tried it before)  I decided to read up on it.  Some people bake it, while others either fry or grill it.  In my quest to make healthy alternative breakfasts and snacks for my children,  I have once again modified a couple of recipes. I substituted sugar for Agave, as well as cut down on the amount of sweetness. I also used unsweetened apple sauce in place of vegetable oil and butter.  This recipe uses a lot of eggs.  I have yet to find a proper substitution for that.  (I am rationalizing the use of so many eggs to the fact that one of my children won't eat eggs in their natural form.... he will eat eggs in baking, however)  I have made these for the kid's breakfast.

This recipe makes 12 small muffins.  Don't be alarmed if they come out of the oven as puffy, and then sink in the middle....that's what they do...at least for me.  And oh, I want to mention that the texture is nothing like corn bread or corn muffins.  The texture is closer to a moist corn pudding.  

2 cups uncooked, fresh corn kernels (Averages 1 ear of corn per 1 cup)
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2/3 cup light agave Nectar (or 1/4 cup white sugar, and 1/4 brown sugar)
4 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2  1/2 cups flour

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray
• Using a blender, whirl corn kernels, milk and vanilla until almost pureed, set aside
• In a large bowl, beat the apple sauce and agave nectar until smooth
• Scraping sides of the bowl, beat in 1 egg for 30 seconds, and repeat until all 4 eggs are mixed in 
• Beat in baking soda and salt
• Add the corn mixture and beat until all is mixed
• Stir in flour until just combined
• Pour batter into muffin tin
• Bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean (30+ minutes)

-Queenie Cuisine