Buttermilk Cornbread
I love cornbread, and so does my husband. It's also an essential part of the dressing I make for the holidays. It goes great with chili, or pork chops, or a bowl of beef stew. This recipe is very close to the one you'll find on the White Lily cornmeal bag; my family uses that recipe, and I've tweaked it over time. Our original family recipe calls for a whole stick of butter, and it is good that way, but it's just as good with half the butter. It has a good crust and soft, light crumb. It is NOT sweet, because proper southern cornbread shouldn't have sugar in it. If you prefer a sweet cornbread, you can just add a couple tablespoons of sugar to the batter.
If you want to make a Mexican-style cornbread, follow this recipe, but add some chopped jalapenos and peppers. I suppose you could add other things in, too, but I've not tried them myself. I tend to prefer my cornbread plain with some butter, though it's buttery enough that you can forgo the butter. It will keep for 4-5 days if wrapped/in an air-tight container.
To make this cornbread, you NEED a cast iron skillet/pan. It does not turn out properly in a regular pan. You can buy a preseasoned one very cheaply these days.
Buttermilk Cornbread
Ingredients:
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
2 eggs
2 cups White Lily Self-rising cornmeal
About 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup oil (or melted shortening if you like the mouthfeel shortening lends to baked goods)
Turn the oven to 425 F. Get all your ingredients ready. Place the half stick of butter into your cast iron skillet, and put the skillet in the oven while it preheats. It is very, very important that the skillet and oven be hot when you put the batter in later. This is how you get the nice crust on your cornbread that gives it extra flavor and great texture.
Lightly beat the eggs together in your mixing bowl. Add the cornmeal, buttermilk, and oil to the egg mixture and whisk together until blended. The batter should be like a thick pancake batter.
Take your skillet out of the oven--remember to use an oven mitt! It should be hot and the butter should be melted. The butter might be brown and look slightly burned if it took you awhile to mix your ingredients, but as long as it's not black, it's okay.
Pour the batter in and use a spoon or spatula to level it if needed. I like to make sure the butter is sort of evenly spilling over the top, but it's not crucial that you do that. Bake until the top is golden brown (about 20-25 minutes).
You should be able to flip it out of the skillet immediately without it sticking to the bottom. Enjoy!
If you want to make a Mexican-style cornbread, follow this recipe, but add some chopped jalapenos and peppers. I suppose you could add other things in, too, but I've not tried them myself. I tend to prefer my cornbread plain with some butter, though it's buttery enough that you can forgo the butter. It will keep for 4-5 days if wrapped/in an air-tight container.
To make this cornbread, you NEED a cast iron skillet/pan. It does not turn out properly in a regular pan. You can buy a preseasoned one very cheaply these days.
Buttermilk Cornbread
Ingredients:
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
2 eggs
2 cups White Lily Self-rising cornmeal
About 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup oil (or melted shortening if you like the mouthfeel shortening lends to baked goods)
Turn the oven to 425 F. Get all your ingredients ready. Place the half stick of butter into your cast iron skillet, and put the skillet in the oven while it preheats. It is very, very important that the skillet and oven be hot when you put the batter in later. This is how you get the nice crust on your cornbread that gives it extra flavor and great texture.
Lightly beat the eggs together in your mixing bowl. Add the cornmeal, buttermilk, and oil to the egg mixture and whisk together until blended. The batter should be like a thick pancake batter.
Take your skillet out of the oven--remember to use an oven mitt! It should be hot and the butter should be melted. The butter might be brown and look slightly burned if it took you awhile to mix your ingredients, but as long as it's not black, it's okay.
Pour the batter in and use a spoon or spatula to level it if needed. I like to make sure the butter is sort of evenly spilling over the top, but it's not crucial that you do that. Bake until the top is golden brown (about 20-25 minutes).
You should be able to flip it out of the skillet immediately without it sticking to the bottom. Enjoy!