I won't bore you with the trivial steps, but I will show you the all-important ones.
This is the batter, all mixed up and ready to go. (Just follow the directions in the recipe below and you'll be just fine. :) )
And this is the piping hot cast iron skillet, fresh from the oven and anxiously anticipating the arrival of the above batter.
And then the two shall meet (just LISTEN to that wonderful sizzle!) and so begins a beautiful (if somewhat brief) relationship.
See how it's bubbling up and crisping around the edges???
So, after about 25 minutes in a hot oven, this is what you'll have...
Isn't it beautiful???
Wish I could put a scratch-n-sniff on your computer screen. That would definitely seal the deal.
So here is the recipe for this absolute deliciousness. I grew up on it, usually with a pot of brown beans and a slice of onion. But I have found that there are many meals that are vastly improved by the addition of a steamy hot slice of this corn meal ambrosia on the side. And often times it just hogs the spotlight, no meal necessary. Grab some butter, slather it on and you're set.
Mom’s Cornbread
1 ½ cups plain corn meal (NOT corn meal mix)
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup of sugar
2 eggs
Oil (approximately 2-3 Tablespoons)
Buttermilk enough to make the batter pourable
Preheat oven and cast iron skillet with 2 tablespoons oil to 425*. Do not get oil on sides of skillet, only bottom. This will allow the batter to ‘climb’ the sides of the pan.
Put dry ingredients in sifter and sift into mixing bowl. Add eggs, oil and buttermilk. Stir, adding just enough buttermilk to make the batter pour.
When oven is ready, remove skillet. Pour batter into skillet and return to oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and set. Immediately turn out onto serving plate and cover with a towel to keep warm until served.
I've discovered that I like food made in an iron skillet more too. I have my mom's old skillet because she doesn't cook too much anymore, but she's a much better cook than I am. She used to make this all the time. Thanks for the recipe. I have to have black-eyed peas too :-) Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Marcia
I read your post with my eyes closed! hehehe. okay, i peeked, but ya know it looks FAB and reminded me of when we lived in the south and my friend used to FRY cornbread in her big cast iron skillet....ooooooh.
ReplyDeleteugh, i'm going to drink another Diet Cherry Coke. *sigh*
I've been married "forever" and I still don't own a cast iron skillet. Can you believe it? The older I get the MORE I love cornbread, however I've never tried Apple Butter on it. Sounds great!
ReplyDeleteWe love corn bread and have it several times a week . . . always cooked in an iron skillet. Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Elizabeth
With a title like "Hot and Delicious", I thought you were going to write about me. I've reined in my ego and will now ask a question about the real subject at hand. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't have any cast iron. Despite being tempted by recipes like this one, storage space is at a premium in my house, and with a glass top cooking surface, cast iron would only be used occasionally in the oven.
I normally make corn bread in a square Pyrex dish without preheating it. Do you think preheating it would enhance the flavor and appearance even though this is Pyrex and not cast iron?
Knitty, I think preheating will still crisp the bottom of it and enhance the flavor, even if you aren't using cast iron. My cast iron skillets are priceless to me. :) One belonged to my Mama Jones and it's the one I use most often. The other just won't seem to season well no matter what I try. Everything wants to stick to it, even when I'm frying in it on top of the stove. Mama's skillet is used for corn bread and ONLY corn bread. I just don't like to mess with what works. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd this post DID start out being about you, but then I got hungry. ;)
I love cornbread! I've been doctoring up the Jiffy box cornbread for years (add sugar among other things) but I am definitely going to try this recipe :) Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete