CORN & ONION BUTTERMILK MUFFINS

Here is a wonderfully moist and flavorful corn muffin recipe. I used Basic Corn Muffins, on allrecipes.com as my base recipe, and adapted it. The addition of onions and applesauce and the subbing of buttermilk for milk makes all the difference in these delicious muffins. But the whole-grain stone-ground cornmeal also adds flavor. Whole-grain cornmeal can be hard to find, and you will have to read labels, but it's, oh, so worth it. (Most of the cornmeal in grocery stores is degerminated, so read package ingredients carefully.)
According to what I read and hear, corn bread and corn muffins are best when baked in iron pans or molds. I've never invested in them, but wish I had, because I do love a good corn muffin. That being said, if you're like me with just regular old muffin tins, you'll be very happy with this recipe.

Corn & Onion Buttermilk Muffins
Adapted from Basic Corn Muffins, allrecipes.com
Rating: 9.5 out of 10

INGREDIENTS:
1 tsp. Smart Balance butter spread, or butter or oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup stone-ground whole-grain cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. canola oil or vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

Preheat oven to 400F. Grease 12-cup muffin pan or line with paper muffin liners. (I used non-stick cooking spray.) Melt butter in 8" skillet and add onion. Cook over medium-low heat till onions are transparent, about 4-5 minutes; remove from heat and cool slightly.
Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk; set aside.
Combine dry ingredients in large bowl, mixing well. In smaller bowl, whisk egg, oil and applesauce till well combined. Add buttermilk mixture, whisking again till well combined. Stir in onions and dry ingredients with spatula, and only mix till barely combined, leaving lumps, if any.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, using about 1/4 cup batter for each. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out with just a few crumbs.
(Note: Baking times are merely guides. You must carefully watch the muffins for signs of doneness. They could be done before 15 minutes, especially if your oven runs hot. There's nothing worse than a dry corn muffin.)