Cornbread Love!

Facts and Feasting on Cornbread!
Texans like it (so do I) with fresh corn kernels, jalapeno peppers and cheese baked in. Northerners like it made with half flour, half cornmeal, sweet and tender and cut into squares. In the upper Southern states, I found Corn Spoon Bread, which uses canned cream corn and sour cream for a creamy, pudding bread side dish. Deep South, with the addition of buttermilk, I find the popular salty, sweet, chewy corn muffins. Corn sticks...(my favorite) pour the batter into a greased hot cast iron molded baking pan. My molded pan is actually shapes of different vegetables, not little corn cobs.

Stoneground Cornmeal is best, more nutritional, because the corn germ is still included in the flour, and therefore must be kept in freezer to prevent rancidity.

Black Skillet Corn Bread
I like my cornbread slightly sweet, if you do not, just decrease sugar.
Of course, this may be baked in a square baking pan if need be.
* First thing to do is brush oil onto sides and bottom of a black cast iron skillet. Place skillet for baking. This will make a nice crisp crust. If you want to use a cast iron cornbread mold you should use the same preheat procedure, though with the molds you will be removing the baked cornbread, oiling, refilling and baking in 2 or more batches.
1 c. flour
1 c. cornmeal
2 or 3T. Sugar
½ t. salt
2 t. baking soda
1 egg
1 c. buttermilk or regular milk
3 T. oil
Mix all ingredients together. Remove the hot oiled skillet and pour the mixture into it. (Or by spoonfulls into greased, hot molds filled to 3/4 full) Carefully, place back into oven and in appx. 20 minutes it should be done. Carefully, dump loaf from skillet onto a plate.


Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Bread
¾ lb. Sharp cheddar cheese, grated
4 eggs
1 can creamed corn
Sour cream (16 oz container)
1 4-oz can diced, Jalapeno peppers
½ c. oil
1 c. flour
1 c. corn meal
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
In large bowl, beat eggs, then add the can of corn, sour cream and oil. Stir well. Next fold in the peppers and grated cheese. Last add the dry ingredients. Stir well and pour into a greased and flour dusted baking dish. Bake for appx 45 mins at 350 degrees. Place foil on top, it is browning on the top too quickly.

Corn Spoon Bread
My favorite recipe using creamed corn and sourcream is in my storage unit with everything else I need regularly...so I'll wait to post this recipe.