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1
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
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2
Butter a 12-cup muffin pan.
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3
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and pepper.
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4
Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the egg, buttermilk, oil, corn, chiles and cayenne.
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5
Whisking from the center, combine the ingredients into a loose and slightly lumpy batter.
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6
Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups, place a chile stem end upright in the top of each muffin and bake for 15 minutes, or until the muffins begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.
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7
Place the pan on a rack to cool for about 10 minutes, and serve warm or at room temperature.
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8
Note: Fresh chiles and bell peppers can be roasted over a gas flame or on a tray under the broiler.
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9
Keep turning so the skin is evenly charred, without burning and drying out the flesh.
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10
Transfer the charred peppers to a plastic bag, tie the top closed and let steam until cool to the touch, about 15 minutes.
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11
The best way to peel is just to pull off the charred skin by hand and then dip the peppers briefly in water to remove any blackened bits.
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12
Do not peel the pepper under running water since that will wash away flavorful juices.
