Recipe: Cornbread

by John Ryan

Cornbread

Serves 4 to 6

Coming from the family of quick breads, cornbread is a hasty concoction that makes it easy to bring steaming hot bread to the table. In the spirit of haste, and to make the making easier, I've developed a very tidy routine so I don't get too many bowls and pans dirty.

After you get a feel for this recipe, start adding things like sautéed onions or grated cheddar cheese. A nifty muffin idea is to fill each muffin hole 3/4 full with batter, then put a small dollop of cream cheese into the batter. This variation is especially good if the batter is spiced up with a little minced jalapeño.

You need...
45 minutes
12-inch cast iron skillet
Large mixing bowl
Small mixing bowl
Rubber spatula
375 degree F. oven

4 tablespoons butter
1 cup corn meal
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk

1. Turn the oven on the 375 degrees F. Use your cast-iron skillet to melt the butter in the oven.

2. Meanwhile measure the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix well with a fork.

3. In the small mixing bowl, use a fork to stir the eggs and milk until they are foamy.

4. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together. Take the skillet from the oven, swirl the butter around the sides of the pan then pour it into the batter. Stir the butter in and scrape the batter into the skillet. Bake until lightly brown and pulling away from the sides—25 to 30 minutes.