Wednesday, June 1, 2011

The Best Cornbread Ever.

There are certain recipes in life I'd like sit down with in front of a fire and talk about boys and books and hopes and dreams with. To hug, if you will. Recipes that make me feel warm and bubbly and 4-years-old again and remind me of lazy Saturdays and Christmas Eves and being home. 

Recipes like my dad's buttermilk biscuits.

My mom's homemade hot chocolate.

Fresh baked raisin bread.

Cinnamon-sugar in a warm tortilla. Cinnamon-sugar on a fresh-baked doughnut. Cinnamon-sugar in my face.

Pancakes with chocolate chips. Pancakes with no chocolate chips. Chocolate chips.

My grandma's whipped cream pumpkin pie.

Sugar cookies. Christmas fudge. Graham crackers with vanilla frosting. 

And cornbread.

This cornbread.
Southern cornbread.
What makes it southern? Um... the buttermilk? I don't know. But everything's better with buttermilk, right? Right.
Make these. They're pretty much perfect. With dinner. With soup. With butter. With breakfast.
And it might be a little too early for this? But they make a really great cornbread dressing for Thanksgiving too. 

Southern Cornbread

Printable Recipe

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk (shake before measuring)
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 425°F and position a rack in the middle. Butter an 8-inch-square baking pan.

Melt the butter in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish in three 15-second intervals on high or in a small pan on the stove. Set it aside to cool.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and eggs. Add the melted butter. Add the flour-cornmeal mixture and stir just until combined. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake until the cornbread just begins to brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 18 to 23 minutes. Cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Source: Food Network Magazine, November 2010.