Brown Butter Pineapple Corn Muffins - Tastes Just Like Home's?

"Home" is a neighborhood restaurant I frequent, and they serve the most heavenly slice of cornbread. It's rich and dense, yet still has a nice light crumb. I'm not sure of all the ingredients, but I'm pretty confident it contains a fair amount of brown butter and seems to be studded with small particles of dried or candied pineapple.

You're probably wondering why I don't simply ask the chef for the recipe? Because that's no fun. There's a certain appeal to trying to duplicate a recipe without a recipe. Kind of like refusing to pull over for directions because the thrill of the search is just too riveting.

Anyway, this is my latest attempt at such mimicry, and comes to you in the form of muffins. When you're talking about cornbread, you're also talking about a big bowl of chili nearby, and nothing balances that big spoon in one hand like a warm corn muffin in the other.

Heads-Up: Michele and I are putting the finishing touches on our big food and wine pairing this weekend at the Frick Winery for the 22nd annual Passport to Dry Creek Valley. I'll try and post an update while on location, but if for any reason I'm incommunicado for the next couple days, that's what's up. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

3/4 cup finely chopped dried sweetened pineapple (or dried unsweetened pineapple plus 1/2 cup sugar)

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal