Breakfast: Cornbread

Some weekend mornings, when I have nothing in particular to do, I like to wake and bake.  No, not that kind of baking!  I mean the cannabis-free sort.  This morning I was feeling the cornbread, baked in a piping hot, butter basted cast-iron skillet, served with warm maple syrup and two eggs over easy.  

I used my ol' standby from the Joy of Cooking, because their cornbread recipe is incredibly simple - like, pre-coffee brain-dead simple.  The only change is I like to use honey instead of white sugar.  Maple syrup or molasses would work too, but would yield a different flavor, obviously.

Cornbread 

Makes one 10-inch skillet bread, one 8-inch square bread, or about 15 muffins

DRY:

1-1/4 cups yellow or white cornmeal, stone-ground

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

WET:

2 large eggs, beaten

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons melted butter

3 tablespoons honey

Have all the ingredients at room temperature before you start.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and grease the pan with butter, oil, or bacon drippings.  Place it in the oven until sizzling hot.

In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry in a few quick strokes (you want to be extra careful not to overmix; only mix until the dry ingredients are wet.  No need to worry about lumps in the batter).  Pour the batter into the hot pan and bake 15 to 18 minutes, until nicely browned.  Serve immediately and store any leftovers in a tightly sealed container.

True Blue Cornbread

Since buying my cast-iron skillet, I've really only used it for one purpose: to make skillet cornbread. The skillet conducts heat extremely well, and totally evenly, so that the cornbread gets a lovely crust on the bottom, in addition to that characteristic golden top. And while we're on the topic of coloring, I should mention that the following cornbread is entirely blue, through and through! I not only used blue cornmeal, which I find just really pleasing in a cartoon-ish way, but I also added some frozen blueberries because of the extra punch of flavor and moisture they contribute to the cornbread. This stuff is really good, and quite easy to put together. Try it with a dollop of sour cream on top!


Blue Skillet Cornbread

Note: If you don't have a cast-iron skillet, not to worry; you can use any other baking dish on hand, or even make this into muffins!

2 tablespoons coconut oil (or other oil, butter, or lard)

1-1/2 cup coarse blue cornmeal
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar (or honey or molasses)
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 eggs

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Put the coconut oil (or fat of your choosing) into the skillet (or other baking vessel) and put into the oven to warm up while you make the batter.

2. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and fold into the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.

3. Add the blueberries last, and pour the batter into the skillet. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top is slightly golden and a toothpick passed through the center of the cornbread comes out totally clean.