Pepper-Jack Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 12 red bell pepper
• finely diced
• 14 cup finely chopped green onion
• 2 jalapeno chiles
• cored
• seeded
• and finely chopped
• 1 14 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 2 12 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
• 34 teaspoon salt
• 14 cup cold Crisco shortening
• 1 14 cups milk
• 1 egg
• 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F; grease three 5-stick cactus molds or a standard 12-muffin pan.
2. Heat the oil in a small skillet over med-high heat; add in the bell pepper, green onion, and jalapeno.
3. Decrease heat to med-low; stir/saute 8 minutes or until vegetables are very tender; remove from heat.
4. In a bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, black pepper, and salt.
5. Using a pastry blender, cut in the shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
6. In a small bowl, beat the milk and egg until blended.
7. Stir milk mixture, vegetables, and cheese into the flour mixture until just blended.
8. Divide batter equally into cactus molds or muffin pan.
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a pick comes out clean.
10. Cool in molds on a rack for 10 minutes; remove from molds and serve warm.