6tablespoonsfirmly packed light or dark brown sugar
4teaspoonsbaking powder
1teaspoonbaking soda
1teaspoonsalt
4largeeggs, separated
6tablespoons(85g)butter, melted, or olive oil
2cupsbuttermilk
4tablespoonssour cream or plain yogurt
3tablespoonssesame seeds for sprinkling
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease 16 standard muffin cups; fill the unused cups one-third full with water to prevent warping during baking.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In another bowl or a large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the egg yolks, butter, buttermilk, and sour cream until blended. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture just until evenly moistened. Don’t overmix! The batter will be slightly lumpy.
In a clean bowl, using a mixer with spotlessly clean beaters on medium speed, beat the egg whites just until they form soft peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter until blended, again, taking care not to overmix because that will result in tough, dry muffins.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each cup nearly level with the rim of the cup. Sprinkle the muffins with the sesame seeds. Bake the muffins until they are golden, dry and springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 18-20 minutes.
Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the muffins cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins and serve warm or at room temperature with butter and/or jam, if desired.
Notes
Flour:I prefer to use white wheat flour but red wheat flour would work just as well, resulting in a slightly heartier, darker muffin.