Bobby Flay's Blue and Yellow Corn Muffins

Arriving before your meal at the Mesa Grill is a delightful basket of breads... while the Jalapeño Asiago Bread is my all time favorite, I've yet to find a proper replication of the recipe.  However, the Blue and Yellow Corn Muffins, my second favorite bread, zesty and flavorful are easy to make at home taste just like the restaurant!

6 Tbs unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1⅓ cups whole milk
4 large eggs
2 Tbs honey
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
 2 jalapeño chiles, finely diced (adjust for heat preference)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
2 Tbs finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup blue cornmeal
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 tsp kosher salt (I reduce the salt to 3 T)

Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.  Grease a 12-muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.  Divide the mixture evenly between 2 large bowls.

In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, honey, red pepper, jalapeños, corn and cilantro.  Pour the mixture into a measuring cup and add half of the mixture to each of the large bowls containing the onion mixture.

Put the blue cornmeal and yellow cornmeal in 2 separate bowls.  To each bowl, add ⅔ cups flour, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and 2 teaspoons salt.  Mix each cornmeal mixture into a bowl with the liquid mixture.

Pour an equal amount of each batter side by side into each muffin cup and bake for about 16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.  Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove to a cooking rack.

Note:  I got more than the 12 muffins... batter was enough to fill the 12 muffins of the large tin and 6-8 mini muffins in addition.