Amaizing Cornbread, Two Ways

I know the ‘amaizing’ pun is so overused, especially here at U of M, but I just couldn’t resist.   Anyways…

Last August when I made tamales I finally opened the 5 lb bag of corn meal I had bought months prior.  I had all these extravagant plans on how to use the rest, but in moving a few weeks later I tossed out the remainder.  When I went to buy more I discovered that the 5 lb bag was cheaper than smaller options.  So, here I am once more with 5 lbs of cornmeal.

A friend of mine who runs a farm had a ‘Chili and Chicks’ party last weekend to celebrate spring in Michigan (which still isn’t full here) and his new batch of baby chickens.  Seeing an opportunity to crack open my ‘new’ bag of cornmeal, I offered to make cornbread.

I’ve never made it, and opted to try out two different recipes.  The first one was just a basic sweeter cornbread while the other a cheddar jalapeño one.  I think I preferred the basic one, but both were very good and went well with the chili.

The basic recipe cooked for longer at a lower temperature (375 F) while the cheddar jalapeño one cooked much higher at 450 F.  Both recipes are exceptionally simple, enjoy!

Basic Buttermilk Cornbread

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter (8 tablespoons)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup AP flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 F and grease a square 8 inch pan.

In a large bowl mix together cornmeal, flour, and salt.  Set aside.  In a small pan (or microwave) melt the butter and combine with sugar.  Add in eggs and mix well.

Combine buttermilk and baking soda (regular milk with a small amount of vinegar works as a good substitute), and combine with the dry ingredients.  Add the egg, butter, and sugar mixture, and mix until all the flour and cornmeal is incorporated.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  This keeps for several days and also freezes well.

Recipe courtesy of All Recipes.

Cheddar Jalapeño Cornbread

Ingredients

• 2 cups cornmeal
• 1/2 cup AP flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
• 1 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 F and grease a square 8 inch baking pan.  In a large bowl mix together all dry ingredients.  Separately whisk together the egg and milk, and add to the dry ingredients.  Add the chopped jalapeños and 1 cup of the cheddar and mix well.

Pour the batter into the pan and top with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheddar.  Baked for 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Adapted from A Cozy Kitchen.