Pimento Cheese Cupcakes

By MarieR

Ingredients

• Frosting:
• 4 strips bacon, for garnish
• 12 ounces extra-sharp white cheddar, graded
• 1/4 cup extra-sharp yellow cheddar, graded
• 1 jar (7-ounce) pimentos, drained and finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise-type salad dressing
• 1 tablespoon Neelys BBQ seasoning, recipe follows
• 3 medium scallions, chopped (for garnish)
• Batter:
• 1 cup self-rising cornmeal
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons melted butter, plus 1/4 tablespoon cold butter
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon jalapena, seeded and finely chopped
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• Neelys BBQ Seasoning:
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 1/3 cups paprika
• 3 3/4 tablespoons onion powder

Details

Servings 1

Preparation

Step 1

Prep 15 minutes; Inactive Prep 2 hr; Cook 35 minutes Total:2 hr 50 minutes
Neelys BBQ Seasoning:
Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Frosting:
Cook the bacon, over medium heat in a small skillet, until crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain and cool, then chop and set aside. Combine the remaining ingredients, except the scallions, in a medium bowl and mix well. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
For the batter:
In a large bowl add the flour, cornmeal, sugar, eggs, buttermilk and 3 tablespoons melted butter. Mix well to combine.
Saute onions and jalapenos using 1/4 tablespoon butter, about 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper and chiles. Remove from heat, cool slightly and add to the batter.
Spray 2 (12 capacity) muffin pans with nonstick spray. Fill the pans 3/4 full with the batter. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden. Let cool and frost with pimento cheese mixture. Garnish with chopped bacon and chopped scallions.