January 9, 2011 - Jimmy Cracked Corn

 This recipe comes from the October/November 2010 issue of Fine Cooking. I told y'all I'm addicted to cookbooks and magazines and you'll see that more and more as the year goes by. I decided to tackle Cornbread...Buttermilk Cornbread in this case.

A few years ago I attempted to make cornbread from scratch. The kind you make in a cast iron pan and has a nice hard crust. It was a collosal failure. It didn't rise (no idea why -perhaps I used old baking soda) and was generally not good.

So I tried to redeem myself. It worked.

 

This is a typical 'cake' recipe. You mix dry ingredients. Then wet ingredients. Then you ever so gently combine them (don't work it too hard or the cake won't be tender.) Here is the dry (flour, a little bit of sugar, cornmeal, salt, baking soda and powder...)

 

And here is the wet. It started out with 1/2 cup of the cornmeal soaked in 1/2 of a cup of boiling water. Then mix in eggs, buttermilk. [Note: I did not have any buttermilk on hand but I made my own. One tablespoon of white vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 cup - let sit for 5 minutes - and voila! Buttermilk!]

 Before the wet and dry ingredients are combined - the cast iron skillet must be heated. In this case to 425 degrees. Once it is preheated, mix the wet and dry (but not too much!), melt butter in the hot pan and pour the ingredients in. Note in this photo, the melted butter around the edges. About 6 gentle "stirs" with a wooden spoon to mix the butter through and it's ready to pop in the oven.

 

It's ready to pop out when edges are nice and brown and pulling away from pan. Like this.

 

It was a success! The cornbread actually rose, was tender and tasty. I do prefer a sweet cornbread to this style but with some butter and honey drizzled over it - delicious! Tomorrow I will make some fried chicken to accompany this treat...stay tuned!

 

Random but fun - these were my Christmas flowers that my husband brought home the day before Christmas Eve. Wondering when they will start to die! :)

 

One more thing. I was in a baking mood so I had to bake some cookies. Our latest obsession is these Oatmeal Scotchies. Soooo tasty and no guilt if eaten for breakfast. I mean, it's oatmeal fer cryin' out loud! The photo on the right is known in the George house as "The Tin of Love" (sometimes "Grandma's Tin of Love"). My Norwegian grandmother was an amazing cook and every holiday would bake and cook a boatload of goodies. Some Scandinavian treats (Norwegian Donuts, Krumkake etc) and some American (Chocolate Chip Cookies, Snickerdoodles - you haven't lived until you've heard a Norwegian say "Snickerdoodles.") All in a bunch of tins she had since the 1940s or so. This tin always contained my favorite - the chocolate chip cookies.  And so I continue the tradition, this time with the Oatmeal Scotchies. A.K.A. Breakfast.