Emeril's Maple-Butter Corn Muffins

You’re probably familiar with Emeril Lagasse. From TV to restaurants, the New Orleans transplant and chef has been a staple in our living rooms and kitchens for decades.

This recipe for his simple and savory corn muffins will get not just you, but your kids in the kitchen. It comes from Emeril’s Culinary Garden and Teaching Kitchen, a program consisting of six teaching kitchens and edible schoolyards his foundation funds across the country that give kids access to fresh food and the opportunity to learn about how it is grown.

As the program expanded, Emeril and his team wanted to find a way to engage parents as well. They began inviting families to harvest produce from the garden as long as the parents involved their children in preparing it.

Inspired by bringing families together in the kitchen, this recipe is an easy but engaging way to teach kids about baking. These muffins come together in two simple steps: Combine the wet ingredients in one bowl and the dry ingredients in another, then combine the two together. All there is left to do is bake. Oh, and make the delicious maple butter for serving with the warm muffins. That tiny bit of sweetness in the butter helps bring out the natural sweetness of the cornmeal in the batter. Plus, what kid has ever turned down something sweet?