Maple syrup–sweetened baked goods were very popular during the war. The syrup in these sugarless corn muffins helps to keep them moist in addition to adding sweetness and flavor.
1 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
¾ cup cornmeal
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
⅓ cup maple syrup
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons melted shortening
Heat oven to 400°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat together milk, syrup, and egg in a small bowl.
Make a well in center of dry ingredients. Add milk mixture and shortening. Stir just until all dry ingredients have been moistened. Do not overheat.
Divide muffin mixture into greased muffin cups and bake 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of one comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove to serving container and serve warm.
12 Servings
“It’s not so easy to figure out good desserts on a sugar ration. Yet desserts are very important: they make a family feel mellow and well-treated, and they give you a chance to use nourishing milk, eggs, fruit, and cereal in ways that everyone likes. So welcome these desserts that call for so little precious sugar.”—Recipes for Today, 1943