Berry-Infused Cornbread Mini Muffins

1. Preheat Oven

Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees F, making sure to arrange two racks evenly spaced within the oven. This ensures that your muffins bake evenly.

2. Prepare Muffin Pans

While the oven heats, take your mini muffin pans and spray them thoroughly with baking spray that includes flour. Don't forget to spray the tops of the pans as well; this helps with easy removal of the muffins later on.

3. Combine Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, fine cornmeal, baking powder, and kosher salt. This step ensures that all the dry ingredients are well combined and evenly distributed.

4. Combine Wet Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk the whole milk, extra-large eggs, and melted unsalted butter. Combining these wet ingredients separately helps to ensure a smoother batter when mixed with the dry ingredients.

5. Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients

Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Using a rubber spatula, stir everything together just until it’s combined. It's perfectly okay if the batter is a little lumpy; overmixing can make the muffins tough.

6. Rest the Batter

Set your batter aside for 15 minutes. This resting period allows the dry ingredients to fully absorb the wet ones, resulting in a moist and tender muffin. You'll notice the batter thickens slightly during this time.

7. Fold in Raspberries

Gently fold the firm fresh raspberries into the batter using a spatula. Be careful not to break the berries apart too much; you want bursts of berry flavor in each bite.

8. Fill Muffin Cups

Using a small ice cream scoop or spoon, fill each mini muffin cup with the batter. Make sure each cup has some raspberries in it to ensure even distribution of the berries.

9. Sprinkle with Turbinado Sugar

Evenly sprinkle the tops of the muffins with the turbinado sugar. This adds a delightful crunch and a touch of sweetness to the finished muffins.

10. Bake Muffins

Place the muffin pans in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes. The muffins are done when they spring back when gently touched and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

11. Serve Muffins

Serve the muffins warm or at room temperature. They are perfect for breakfast, a snack, or a sweet treat anytime.

12. Make Ahead Tip

If you want to prepare in advance, mix the batter and store it covered in the refrigerator. When you're ready to bake, simply scoop the batter into the muffin pans and proceed with baking.