Competition doesn’t always lead to close friendship, but for three bakers in the latest season of the The Great American Baking Show, that’s exactly what happened.

Reset hears from the season winner on his baking creations and the camaraderie among the Chicago contestants.

GUEST: Martin Sorge, winner of Season 6 of The Great American Baking Show

Corn and Apricot Muffins

By Martin Sorge

These muffins highlight the peak of Midwestern summer—sweet corn and stone fruit. Like a good cornbread, these muffins taste very corny and just sweet enough. The pockets of tangy apricots and a crunchy streusel top keep them interesting. The intense corn flavor comes from a combination of cornmeal, fresh corn kernels, and the secret ingredient: ground freeze-dried sweet corn. This little trick gives the muffins that fresh sweet corn flavor you really want. In terms of cornmeal, use a fine- or medium-ground cornmeal, not corn flour or polenta. I’ve tested this with my favorite local cornmeal from Janie’s Mill, but it also works splendidly with Bob’s Red Mill or Quaker. You’ll see that I’ve listed the measurements in grams before cups. Measuring by weight is much more accurate, it is faster, plus you won’t have any measuring cups to wash.

Makes 12 hefty muffins.

Streusel

40 g (1/3 cup) all-purpose flour

40 g (1/3 cup) cornmeal (see the headnote about the type of cornmeal)

50 g (1/4 cup) sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

50 g (about 4 Tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cubed

Corn Muffins

Butter or oil to grease the muffin pan

200g (about 1 cup depending on size) fresh apricots, pitted and chopped into about 1/2 inch bits

100 g (about 1 ear, about 1/2 cup) of fresh sweet kernels or frozen kernels, thawed and drained

120 g (1 cup) plus 1 Tablespoon, all-purpose flour, divided

200 g (1 1/2 cups minus 1 teaspoon) cornmeal

30 g freeze-dried sweet corn, finely ground in a spice grinder (or 30 g freeze-dried sweet corn powder)

2 teaspoons baking powder

66g (1/3 cup) mild-flavored olive oil

130 g (1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons) sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

230 g (1 cup) buttermilk

Heat the oven to 425F/220C with a rack in the center of the oven. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners and lightly spray the inside of the liners with cooking oil spray.

Make the streusel by whisking together flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Add the cubed butter and rub it into the dry mixture with your fingers until you can’t see any dry bits and the streusel holds together in big chunks. Put streusel in the refrigerator while you assemble the rest of the muffins.

In a bowl, toss the chopped fresh apricots and corn kernels with about 1 Tablespoon of flour to coat. In a separate mixing bowl combine the remaining 120 g (1 cup) flour, cornmeal, ground freeze-dried sweet corn, and baking powder, then whisk for 1 minute to thoroughly combine. 

In a large bowl, combine sugar, salt, vanilla extract, egg, and oil. Whisk thoroughly to combine. Add the buttermilk and whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, then whisk just until no lumps of flour remain. Toss in the flour-coated apricots and corn and fold them into the batter with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the fruit and corn are evenly distributed. Spoon the batter evenly into the lined muffin pan. Sprinkle some streusel on top of each muffin, until you’ve used all the streusel.

Bake the muffins at 425F/220C for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 400F/200C and bake for another 25-28, until the muffins are firm to the touch, the streusel is a golden brown on top, and a toothpick or knife comes out with no wet batter attached. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, and then carefully remove the muffins from the pan to cool completely.

These are best the day you make them, but will last for 2-3 days at room temperature.