# Cornbread?



## Mad Cook

Anna Olson making "Confetti Cornbread" on Food Network this morning and I'd like to have a go.. 

 Question: Is corn meal the same as polenta? If not can I substitute? (My health food shop lady where I get these sorts of things says I can but I don't know her cooking credentials.)


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## Andy M.

Yes.  One typically uses a cornmeal grind (more coarse than masa) for both polenta and cornmeal.


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## medtran49

I've actually used both grinds for both.  But, most cornbread recipes I've seen mean the finer grind.  You can use either for corn tortillas but I prefer the finer as I don't like the coarse texture.  For polenta, it can also be either one but, again, I prefer the finer due to the texture.  However, if the recipe calls specifically for coarse and you use the fine grind, you have to adjust the amount you use (downward if you are substituting the fine grind for coarse) or up the liquid ratio significantly.


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## Roll_Bones

Has anyone ever made "cracklin" cornbread?

Do you just add cracklings to the batter before baking?

My wife loves cornbread and I just barely like it. If it had cracklings in it, I bet it would be much better.


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## medtran49

Never made it but I do make cornbread with fresh corn kernels and/or chopped jalapeno.  However, just took a quick look at a couple of recipes and you apparently just stir the pieces in and bake. 

Does your wife put sugar in her cornbread?  Craig has always told me he preferred it without sugar in it but the last time I made it I didn't put hardly any sugar in it and he didn't like it at all.  So, guess I have to find a compromise.  I've been using this recipe for years. 

Epcot Corn Muffins / Cornbread - Garden Grill, Future World


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## Mad Cook

Thanks to all. Will try this at the weekend.


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## CraigC

"Cornbread and iced tea took the place of pills and 90 proof." Name that song!


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## Roll_Bones

medtran49 said:


> Never made it but I do make cornbread with fresh corn kernels and/or chopped jalapeno.  However, just took a quick look at a couple of recipes and you apparently just stir the pieces in and bake.
> 
> Does your wife put sugar in her cornbread?  Craig has always told me he preferred it without sugar in it but the last time I made it I didn't put hardly any sugar in it and he didn't like it at all.  So, guess I have to find a compromise.  I've been using this recipe for years.
> 
> Epcot Corn Muffins / Cornbread - Garden Grill, Future World



No sugar in her cornbread.


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## Kayelle

I really don't care for plain ole cornbread, but I really like this...
Absolute Mexican Cornbread Recipe - Allrecipes.com


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## taxlady

Roll_Bones said:


> Has anyone ever made "cracklin" cornbread?
> 
> Do you just add cracklings to the batter before baking?
> 
> My wife loves cornbread and I just barely like it. If it had cracklings in it, I bet it would be much better.


I tried it once because it sound really tasty. I could hardly tell they were in the corn bread. They disappeared. I thought it was a waste of yummy cracklings. And yes, I followed a recipe that had me put the cracklings in the batter before baking.


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## Whiskadoodle

A southerner who doesn't much go for cornbread? Don't they have laws about that?  R_B, I wonder if you used bacon drippings instead of butter or fat it you might like it better. I have put bacon crumbles in cornbread, but I decided I like bacon better on the side.,

Kayelle,   I was thinking,  1 cup of sugar seems pretty sweet.   Then I remembered, I like honey on my cornbread,  so I guess it looks pretty good. I'll know soon enough. I copied your recipe and will try it. 

I just threw a pan of cornbread in the oven. Today I used the recipe on the side of the Quaker brand cornmeal box. Hand stirred and the batter was ready before the oven came up to temp.


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## Aunt Bea

CraigC said:


> "Cornbread and iced tea took the place of pills and 90 proof." Name that song!



All my rowdy friends have settled down.


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## Roll_Bones

taxlady said:


> I tried it once because it sound really tasty. I could hardly tell they were in the corn bread. They disappeared. I thought it was a waste of yummy cracklings. And yes, I followed a recipe that had me put the cracklings in the batter before baking.



What kind of cracklings did you use?  If you used those puffed up pork rinds sold in the big bags, those are not cracklings. Cracklings have the skin remaining. Pork rinds are skinless and very light.  Airy.
The ones we get are kinda hard to chew and would not dissolve in the batter. I think? 
My biggest concern was the cracklings getting soft in the batter.


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## GotGarlic

Roll_Bones said:


> What kind of cracklings did you use?  If you used those puffed up pork rinds sold in the big bags, those are not cracklings. Cracklings have the skin remaining. Pork rinds are skinless and very light.  Airy.



Heh, TL doesn't eat stuff like that


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## taxlady

Roll_Bones said:


> What kind of cracklings did you use?  If you used those puffed up pork rinds sold in the big bags, those are not cracklings. Cracklings have the skin remaining. Pork rinds are skinless and very light.  Airy.
> The ones we get are kinda hard to chew and would not dissolve in the batter. I think?
> My biggest concern was the cracklings getting soft in the batter.


I made them myself. They were a yummy by product of rendering leaf lard. I don't remember if any of them had skin, but I think so. I cut the fat into ~1 cm (~3/8 inches) cubes. I probably only put skinless ones in the cornbread.



GotGarlic said:


> Heh, TL doesn't eat stuff like that


GG knows me.


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## Addie

Kayelle said:


> I really don't care for plain ole cornbread, but I really like this...
> Absolute Mexican Cornbread Recipe - Allrecipes.com



That is a lot of sugar for corn bread. The most I ever put in is about 1/4 cup. And I use the cream style corn also without any peppers. The corn makes it nice and moist. I also have been known to toss in a few slices of crumbled bacon.


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## GotGarlic

Kayelle said:


> I really don't care for plain ole cornbread, but I really like this...
> Absolute Mexican Cornbread Recipe - Allrecipes.com



That's sounds really good. I've tried jazzing up the cornbread recipes I've found, but I always find them bland and dry. I'm going to try it. Thanks!


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## Kayelle

I agree, that's a lot of unnecessary sugar and naturally it can be cut way down to suit yourself. I often use pepper jack cheese, to boost the kick.
Addie, bacon makes anything better, except brussel sprouts.


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## PrincessFiona60

I use the Jiffy Mix, add 1 T sugar, green chilies and shredded Mexican Cheese.  Perfect Corn Bread!


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## Addie

GotGarlic said:


> That's sounds really good. I've tried jazzing up the cornbread recipes I've found, but I always find them bland and dry. I'm going to try it. Thanks!



GG adding the cream style corn really makes the cornbread moist.


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## Roll_Bones

Whiskadoodle said:


> A southerner who doesn't much go for cornbread?



I am not sure if you can call me a southerner. I am from Miami Fl.  But my wife is from SC.  She loves corn bread.  I just started to like it a little bit....


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## GotGarlic

Roll_Bones said:


> I am not sure if you can call me a southerner. I am from Miami Fl.  But my wife is from SC.  She loves corn bread.  I just started to like it a little bit....



The only southerners in Florida are in northern Florida


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## CraigC

A vast majority of folks in Miami have the most southern accent. From about 90 miles south of Key West!


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## Roll_Bones

GotGarlic said:


> The only southerners in Florida are in northern Florida



You got that right.  Remember in the movie Easy Rider, they went all over the country only to be killed once inside the Florida line.
South Fl. is night and day compared to central and northern Fl.



CraigC said:


> A vast majority of folks in Miami have the most southern accent. From about 90 miles south of Key West!



I have family in Key West still.  The house has been sold, but a few cousins and an aunt remain. 
Have you ever had "bollito's"?  The special Cuban fritter.

When my grandfather would take me fishing, he would point towards the horizon and tell me if I did not behave, he would take me to Cuba, and hand me over to Fidel....LOL


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## Addie

So to get back on subject, anytime I ever tasted cornbread made by a born and bred southerner, it was dry and tasteless. Thank goodness I grew up in New England where they make decent cornbread.


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## Kayelle

Holy cow Addie....you lookin for another war between the states?


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## Addie

Kayelle said:


> Holy cow Addie....you lookin for another war between the states?



Not really. But in the three years I lived in Texas, the cornbread I tasted was an abomination. Not fit for man or beast. Maybe I just knew lousy cooks down there.


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## Kayelle

Come on Addie, I bet you'd be insulted if a southerner said New England makes lousy chowda.


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## Addie

Kayelle said:


> Come on Addie, I bet you'd be insulted if a southerner said New England makes lousy chowda.



True, so true. Kayelle, I watched a friend of mine make cornbread. Cornmeal, a heaping tablespoon of baking powder, very little flour and water. She made a double batch. Some for stuffing and some for the table to eat in place of bread. She informed me that it was her mother's recipe.  All I can say is those poor southerners have suffered enough.


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## GotGarlic

Addie said:


> True, so true. Kayelle, I watched a friend of mine make cornbread. Cornmeal, a heaping tablespoon of baking powder, very little flour and water. She made a double batch. Some for stuffing and some for the table to eat in place of bread. She informed me that it was her mother's recipe.  All I can say is those poor southerners have suffered enough.



[*] Cornmeal, baking powder, water is equivalent to white flour, yeast, water.
[*] It *is* bread. Just not European bread.
[*] It has Mexican roots. Europeans brought the leavening that turned corn tortillas into a risen bread.
[*] Maybe now that you understand it better, you can stop being so insulting.
[*] And the topic was, are polenta and cornmeal the same thing?


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## salt and pepper

Colorful corn bread, Cheese, 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





jalapeños, & colored corn kernels. Cooked in an aluminum cast dutch oven.


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## Aunt Bea

salt and pepper said:


> Colorful corn bread, Cheese, jala
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> peno's, & colored corn kernels.



Nice!

A slice of that and a salad would make a great meal!


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## Whiskadoodle

Oh my.  I just made a rhetorical statement.   In fact, we recently returned from a wonderful vacation in the Ft Lauderdale area.   Didn't see any cornbread on any menus.  But then, in fairness,  it most likely would be found in BBQ resto's and BBQ isn't DxW's  favored cuisine.  We did have some nice fresh fish and shrimp dinners.  And yes,  as snowbirds, we did take advantage of Early Bird Specials a couple times.    and we probably drove like tourists too.  My apologies.   And just to let you know, we will be back.  

 Now for today's question.  What is the best way to Re-heat / use up leftover cornbread.    I have been cutting slices in longer 1 inch or so thick fingers.   Lay on a pat of butter and run in the microwave long enough to soften the butter and the cornbread incidentally gets warmish.  Not like fresh out of the oven warm, but not so heated that it gets tough like bread does in the microwave.   Any other suggestions.    Even if I use a Jiffy box and make a small pan, there will be leftovers.  Thanks.


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## Aunt Bea

I like to reheat mine in a cast iron frying pan. 

I split the squares and butter them or put some bacon grease in the pan and then put the slices face down and let them slowly brown and crisp up.  Then a dollop of jam or a little honey on them.  

IMO the leftover cornbread for breakfast is better than the first time around at dinner!


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## GotGarlic

Somewhere between this thread and the one about Stovetop Stuffing croutons, it occurred to me to make cornbread croutons to put on taco or chicken tortilla soup. Otherwise, I wrap it in foil to prevent drying out and reheat in the toaster oven. 

Aunt Bea, I know people who crumble it up and eat it like cereal with sugar and milk! like the bacon grease idea, too!


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## PrincessFiona60

GotGarlic said:


> Somewhere between this thread and the one about Stovetop Stuffing croutons, it occurred to me to make cornbread croutons to put on taco or chicken tortilla soup. Otherwise, I wrap it in foil to prevent drying out and reheat in the toaster oven.
> 
> Aunt Bea, I know people who crumble it up and eat it like cereal with sugar and milk! like the bacon grease idea, too!



Shrek puts buttermilk over his cornbread with salt & pepper, then eats that for breakfast.


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## TaraWildes

Yep, my DH loves leftover cornbread with buttermilk too.  Never developed the taste for that myself.

My MIL made the best fried cornbread with just Martha White buttermilk cornbread mix and water.  She added water until it achieved the right consistency and slid tablespoonfuls into hot oil.  Well, lard.  Maybe that's why mine is never as good as hers was, lack of lard.

My everyday cornbread is made by sticking a cast iron pan into the oven at 410 degrees with about three tablespoons of bacon grease.  While that is heating up, mix two cups of the Martha White buttermilk cornbread mix with one egg and about a cup of water or milk.  Buttermilk is better if you have it.  When the oil is almost smoking, pull out of the oven and add the wet mix.  It should sizzle.

Back into the oven for 17 minutes.  Check it.  If the top is not golden, just a minute or so under the broiler will brown it up.  Take out, put it on a plate and throw a clean dishtowel over it until ready to eat.


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## CatPat

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I use the Jiffy Mix, add 1 T sugar, green chilies and shredded Mexican Cheese.  Perfect Corn Bread!



Green chilies? Is this like the jalopena or Poblano? Maybe Anaheim, yes? Are these mild or warmer?

With love,
~Cat


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## PrincessFiona60

CatPat said:


> Green chilies? Is this like the jalopena or Poblano? Maybe Anaheim, yes? Are these mild or warmer?
> 
> With love,
> ~Cat



Anaheim or Poblano, I don't do too hot...


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## taxlady

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Anaheim or Poblano, I do do too hot...


Interesting turn of phrase. I've had that happen. 





runs and hides


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## PrincessFiona60

taxlady said:


> Interesting turn of phrase. I've had that happen.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> runs and hides



Thanks for finding that...brat...


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## Roll_Bones

Kayelle said:


> Holy cow Addie....you lookin for another war between the states?





Addie said:


> Not really. But in the three years I lived in Texas, the cornbread I tasted was an abomination. Not fit for man or beast. Maybe I just knew lousy cooks down there.



Addie is correct.  The corn bread here in SC that i have had was horrible. It was very dry, and has zero taste.



PrincessFiona60 said:


> Shrek puts buttermilk over his cornbread with salt & pepper, then eats that for breakfast.



I am assuming this is one reason they love their corn bread down here.  They never eat corn bread like bread.  Its always used in combination with something else.
Like the gross idea of opening a pint of buttermilk, drinking half of it, then adding crumbled corn bread to make a paste.  Yuk on so many levels.
Or its used in stuffing (which I find to be good) or served with soup or beans.
There is no juice in any southern soup once it reaches the table.  It is immediately covered with crumbled corn bread and mixed up to make another paste that they just absolutely adore.
I like corn bread with these things. Just not in these things.

I want to make the Mexican corn bread that was provided.  But I know for a fact my wife does not like sweet corn bread.
I have everything but the buttermilk. I wonder if regular whole milk will be okay?
We are having the Souths signature dish today.  Pinto beans made with ham bone and ham pieces at at the end.
This dish needs corn bread.
And i plan to make something palatable.


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## Dawgluver

RB, you can make buttermilk by adding a bit of vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk.


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## Roll_Bones

Dawgluver said:


> RB, you can make buttermilk by adding a bit of vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk.



Yes, I mentioned this to my wife this morning.  Any idea as to how much to add, to how much milk? Must it ferment or is it ready immediately for use?
Thanks.


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## Dawgluver

About a tsp for a cup, I think.  You can use it within a few minutes.


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## Andy M.

Dawgluver said:


> RB, you can make buttermilk by adding a bit of vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk.



This works.

You can also buy buttermilk powder in the baking section of the supermarket.  It's great because it lasts for a long time so you're not wasting buttermilk or looking for recipes to use it up.   Just measure the powder into the dry ingredients and add the appropriate amount of water to the wet ingredients and you're all set.


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## Dawgluver

I've used the powder too, very convenient.  I did find out it should be stored in the fridge after opening.  I discovered this after I'd had the powder for a couple years.


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## Kayelle

I had the same problem with the powdered stuff Dawg. It was also quite expensive, unless you bake a lot.

To make your own buttermilk you'll need *a Tablespoon *of lemon juice or vinegar to one cup of milk however.


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## Dawgluver

Oops.  That's what I get trying to rely on my memory!


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## Whiskadoodle

Which would you add to a cornbread recipe to make it less crumbly ?

More egg, more buttermilk, more oil???

Or, make sure to not over bake it.

Usually mine is good. I always bake in a cast iron pan unless it's muffins.


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## Roll_Bones

Andy M. said:


> This works.
> 
> You can also buy buttermilk powder in the baking section of the supermarket.  It's great because it lasts for a long time so you're not wasting buttermilk or looking for recipes to use it up.   Just measure the powder into the dry ingredients and add the appropriate amount of water to the wet ingredients and you're all set.



I had a can of powdered buttermilk in my cart at the grocery store some months ago when we were discussing homemade ranch dressing. I put it back for some reason.



Dawgluver said:


> About a tsp for a cup, I think.  You can use it within a few minutes.



Thanks.



Whiskadoodle said:


> Which would you add to a cornbread recipe to make it less crumbly ?
> More egg, more buttermilk, more oil???
> Or, make sure to not over bake it.
> Usually mine is good. I always bake in a cast iron pan unless it's muffins.



Scroll back in this thread to the Mexican cornbread recipe.  It is supposed to cure the problem of dry cornbread. 
I was to make it yesterday, but we ate out instead.


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## Mad Cook

Kayelle said:


> I had the same problem with the powdered stuff Dawg. It was also quite expensive, unless you bake a lot.
> 
> To make your own buttermilk you'll need *a Tablespoon *of lemon juice or vinegar to one cup of milk however.


I would think you could use natural (unflavoured, unsweetened) yoghourt in place of buttermilk, couldn't you? I seem to remember when I made the Anna Olson recipe that started this thread that I couldn't find buttermilk so I used yoghourt which I always have in as I make my own.

I use it for making scones too


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## Roll_Bones

Mad Cook said:


> I would think you could use natural (unflavoured, unsweetened) yoghourt in place of buttermilk, couldn't you?



Buttermilk and unflavored yogurt are two things i can assure you, do not reside in my fridge. At least not on a regular basis.
I bought the buttermilk for the cornbread and had to throw it out the other day as it was expired.  Waste.

Last night we opened a package of Martha White corn muffin mix.
I chopped some red bell pepper, opened a small can of green chili's (drained) and grated some cheddar cheese.
Best corn bread I have ever had.  But it was sweet.
I am considering making the Mexican cornbread and completely leaving out the sugar. 
Has anyone made this without the sugar?


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## PrincessFiona60

Sugar helps keep it moist, as sugar likes water.


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## Whiskadoodle

I wonder if that's my dilemma-- I asked the other day why sometimes my cornbread seems dry-- sometimes I leave out sugar altogether,  Plus ( yes I know,) sometimes I use a different recipe, so I am inconsistent, but how else is one going to find the perfect recipe.   

I'm going to try the Mexican cornbread recipe next time I bake a pan.


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## Cheryl J

I've cut corners in a pinch and added shredded cheddar and chopped jalapenos to a box of Jiffy cornbread mix.   Not bad!


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## Dawgluver

The only cornbread I make is Jiffy.  I like it, and frankly, my Southern exSIL's cornbread wasn't quite as good, though I would never tell her.


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## legend_018

I bought a Lodge Recipe book that has a lot of prize winning corn breads. I tried a plain one today. I used it as my bread for the burgers I made. It was pretty plain jane. cornmeal,bacon grease, baking powder, salt, butter milk


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## PrincessFiona60

I love the Jiffy Mix, add a tablespoon of sugar and then go from there.


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## Dawgluver

Hmm.  Great ideas, PF and Legend.  May have to hit the Jiffy mix with some bacon grease and sugar!


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## PrincessFiona60

Bacon grease, bacon bits and shredded cheddar.


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## Cooking4to

Cornbread is real easy if you bake it ontop of 2"s of chilli, lol...  Simple just make a bunch of chilli, pour it in a baking pan, make your corn bread and pour it on top of the chilli then bake it, it will be moist... 

Seriously though, I looked up my recipe { I don't make it much}...
I have this marked 10 1/2x12 1/2 pan {which is an old iron pan I bought at an antique auction, a 9x13 will work fine...} I don't know why but I prefer my cornbread cooked in cast iron...

OK, so the only thing that you may not have in your kitchen for this recipe is the Almond flour {king arthurs brand}... I also use half fine and half medium cornmeal...

First mix 1 cup cornmeal {1/2 and 1/2}, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 cup sugar, 2 TBL baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 1/2 cup All purpose flour, and 1 1/2 cup almond flour in a big bowl.

Next beat 4 eggs, melt 6 TBLS of butter, and add them to the mix with 2/3 cups vegetable oil, 2 1/2 cups whole milk, and 2 TBLS Honey.

Now don't mix that to death just get it combined and uniform, mix as little as possible...

Grease your pan well with crisco or some kind of veg short. bake this in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, don't over cook it, I start checking the center as soon as it starts to crack.  I cook it in cast iron, so it will cook different in different pans, when I pull it out it is not completely cooked, I put it on the counter on top of a towel and then cover it with the towel it will continue to cook a bit in that hot pan...

Thats it, under an hour and it comes great.   I entered a chili and cornbread competition {fairgrounds} and my chili came in 7th {14 entries, lol, I know its sad} but my cornbread came first, {only 8 cornbreads entered, it was a small fair, but still first!}...
So that is an award winning cornbread, I won a root beer cup, if you go to fairs you know what that is, the root beer mug you can fill at any fair in the area, I still have the cup...


I can post my 7th place chili recipe too if someone wants it, which I have also not made in a while, its an old recipe where you boil ground beef in a vacuum bag.  I have had better, and I could make the recipe better, but I am not a crazy about chili guy, the kids aren't and my wife is not a meat eater. If I am making a soup its gonna be a creamy lobster, french onion, creamy wild mushroom, ect...


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## Hoot

For most of my life, cornbread was prepared on the stove top. White cornmeal mixed with enough water to make a manageable dough was placed in a cast iron skillet with very short sides. It looked like a thick tortilla, somewhere around 1/2 inch or so thick. it cooked until the texture around the edges began to look dry, at which point it was turned. This was the only cornbread I ever knew until I was probably 18 or 19 tears old.
As far as cracklin's go, We used to raise and slaughter our own hogs. The lard was rendered and we would strain it and collect the pieces of meat and skin.
We never used cracklin's in cornbread. Instead, we used them in a hoe cake or johnnycake made from flour and water, cooked on the top of the stove in a similar manner of our corn bread. Mighty good and I can seem to smell it even as I type this.


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## Roll_Bones

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Sugar helps keep it moist, as sugar likes water.





Cheryl J said:


> I've cut corners in a pinch and added shredded cheddar and chopped jalapenos to a box of Jiffy cornbread mix.   Not bad!





Dawgluver said:


> The only cornbread I make is Jiffy.  I like it, and frankly, my Southern exSIL's cornbread wasn't quite as good, though I would never tell her.





PrincessFiona60 said:


> I love the Jiffy Mix, add a tablespoon of sugar and then go from there.





Dawgluver said:


> Hmm.  Great ideas, PF and Legend.  May have to hit the Jiffy mix with some bacon grease and sugar!



The Jiffy mix is already very sweet. I would not add any more sugar unless you are intending to make dessert.
Its good, but its way to sweet for my tastes and my wife's tastes.
I need to find a happy medium as she never made sweet cornbread and i never really ate much cornbread until we met.
But we both agree we do not like it as sweet as the Jiffy.  I made the mistake earlier in the thread and said it was Martha White.
Its the Jiffy that's to sweet for us and what we made.


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## PrincessFiona60

I won't eat it unless it's sweet I do not care for cornbread.


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## bakechef

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I won't eat it unless it's sweet I do not care for cornbread.



The cornbread I make is really more like cake, I've had cake turn out more like cornbread   rob loves it!

Sent from my XT1080 using Discuss Cooking mobile app


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## PrincessFiona60

bakechef said:


> The cornbread I make is really more like cake, I've had cake turn out more like cornbread   rob loves it!
> 
> Sent from my XT1080 using Discuss Cooking mobile app



The only thing I ever got a Purple Ribbon for at the state fair (in Wyoming) was for cornbread...that I don't like to eat...


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## Andy M.

bakechef said:


> The cornbread I make is really more like cake, I've had cake turn out more like cornbread   rob loves it!
> 
> Sent from my XT1080 using Discuss Cooking mobile app




I recall conversations with Uncle Bob about cornbread.  To him, cornbread is made with corn flour, water and salt.  No sugar or flour.  He calls corn breads like Jiffy corn cakes that northerners eat.  

Along those lines, I like northern corn cake.  It's sweet and tender and I make no apologies.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef

CraigC said:


> "Cornbread and iced tea took the place of pills and 90 proof." Name that song!


 
All My Rowdy Friends - Hank Williams Jr.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef

*Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread*​

*Ingredients:*


· 1¼ cups yellowcornmeal

· 1¼ cupsall-purpose flour

· 1 Tbsgranulated sugar

· 1½ tsp bakingpowder

· ½ tsp bakingsoda

· 1 tsp koshersalt

· 1¾ cupsbuttermilk

· 1 egg

· 1 cup*whole kernel corn, fresh, frozen or canned*

· 4 Tbsshortening for the skillet (Some people use Crisco, some use lard and some use butter. I use bacon fat)

*Instructions:*


Preheat the oven and a 10-inch cast ironskillet to 425oF. 

In a medium bowl, whisk the cornmeal,flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Pour the buttermilkinto a small bowl, add the egg and whisk until blended. Pour the buttermilkmixture into the dry ingredients and, using a rubber spatula, fold the dryingredients into the wet ingredients until they are completely combined. Foldin the corn.

Put the shortening in the pre-heated skilletand carefully swirl it around to coat the bottom and sides. Pour the batterinto the pan and smooth to the edges of the skillet. Bake at 425oF for 20 to 25 minutes, until atoothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cut the corn bread into 8wedges. Split each wedge in half horizontally and spread with butter, ifdesired.


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## Mad Cook

Cooking4to said:


> Cornbread is real easy if you bake it ontop of 2"s of chilli, lol... Simple just make a bunch of chilli, pour it in a baking pan, make your corn bread and pour it on top of the chilli then bake it, it will be moist...
> 
> Seriously though, I looked up my recipe { I don't make it much}...
> I have this marked 10 1/2x12 1/2 pan {which is an old iron pan I bought at an antique auction, a 9x13 will work fine...} I don't know why but I prefer my cornbread cooked in cast iron...
> 
> OK, so the only thing that you may not have in your kitchen for this recipe is the Almond flour {king arthurs brand}... I also use half fine and half medium cornmeal...
> 
> First mix 1 cup cornmeal {1/2 and 1/2}, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 cup sugar, 2 TBL baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 1/2 cup All purpose flour, and 1 1/2 cup almond flour in a big bowl.
> 
> Next beat 4 eggs, melt 6 TBLS of butter, and add them to the mix with 2/3 cups vegetable oil, 2 1/2 cups whole milk, and 2 TBLS Honey.
> 
> Now don't mix that to death just get it combined and uniform, mix as little as possible...
> 
> Grease your pan well with crisco or some kind of veg short. bake this in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, don't over cook it, I start checking the center as soon as it starts to crack. I cook it in cast iron, so it will cook different in different pans, when I pull it out it is not completely cooked, I put it on the counter on top of a towel and then cover it with the towel it will continue to cook a bit in that hot pan...
> 
> Thats it, under an hour and it comes great. I entered a chili and cornbread competition {fairgrounds} and my chili came in 7th {14 entries, lol, I know its sad} but my cornbread came first, {only 8 cornbreads entered, it was a small fair, but still first!}...
> So that is an award winning cornbread, I won a root beer cup, if you go to fairs you know what that is, the root beer mug you can fill at any fair in the area, I still have the cup...
> 
> 
> I can post my 7th place chili recipe too if someone wants it, which I have also not made in a while, its an old recipe where you boil ground beef in a vacuum bag. I have had better, and I could make the recipe better, but I am not a crazy about chili guy, the kids aren't and my wife is not a meat eater. If I am making a soup its gonna be a creamy lobster, french onion, creamy wild mushroom, ect...


Thanks. I like the sound of a cornbread "lid" baked on top of chili.

I had some cornbread which had sweet corn kernels in the mixture in a Jamaican restaurant years ago. I like that because the kernels gave it a bit of moisture and freshness.

Re non meat-eaters in the family. I make a veggie chili using bulghur wheat instead of meat. I think I got the idea off the ingredients list on a packet of ready-made veggie chili from Sainsburys.

Take my word for it - veggie chili made with TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein - soya to you and me) is truly disgusting. It tastes like cardboard. The odd thing is that when you make veggie lasagne bolognese with it it's fine and you can't tell it isn't made with meat.


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## medtran49

I just remembered this and don't remember if anybody else has mentioned it (and too many pages to go back and look), but my grandmother used to use bacon grease as part of the fat for the cornbread.  She always had a can of bacon grease on the stove since she fried bacon every morning for breakfast.  They ran a farm so the family needed a good start to their day and always had a hearty breakfast.  Of course, I'd fry the bacon, use the grease and break up the bacon to put in the cornbread.


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## medtran49

Mad Cook said:


> Re non meat-eaters in the family. I make a veggie chili using bulghur wheat instead of meat. I think I got the idea off the ingredients list on a packet of ready-made veggie chili from Sainsburys.
> 
> .


 
If you need another recipe for vegetarian chili, try this one http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f20/tnt-no-meat-chili-77652.html .  It's really, really good and even with the chipotle it's not spicy, though you can add more and it will be!  We usually have cornbread, with corn kernels with jalapenos in half of it for Craig, with it.  

Best of all, it can be a pantry/freezer meal if you roast and freeze the bell pepper when you get good buys on them.


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## Addie

Kayelle said:


> I agree, that's a lot of unnecessary sugar and naturally it can be cut way down to suit yourself. I often use pepper jack cheese, to boost the kick.
> Addie, bacon makes anything better, except brussel sprouts.



Nothing can help Brussel Sprouts. Except maybe the garbage disposal.


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## Linda0818

Addie said:


> Not really. But in the three years I lived in Texas, the cornbread I tasted was an abomination. Not fit for man or beast. Maybe I just knew lousy cooks down there.



You're not alone. The first (and only) time I tried "real Southern" cornbread, I thought it was disgusting. Way too dry and it had no flavor. I like sweet cornbread. Sweet and moist.


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## Addie

Every month I keep telling myself, (I get a lot of those catalogs with pages filled with junk) that I am going to order one of those tins with a strainer for bacon fat. They are so inexpensive, but I hate the idea of ordering one item and then pay the shipping charges. 

I once read that bacon fat and any other previously used fats should be saved in the fridge. Not on the stove. After I read that I tossed out all the bacon fat and never again made an effort to save it properly. Evert time I got to the bottom of the tin can, there would always be a pile of gunk in the bottom. Empty it out and wash the can with hot water and soap.


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## Andy M.

Addie, I cook bacon in the oven then strain the bacon fat through a strainer lined with a clean men's handkerchief. Then it goes into a plastic container and into he fridge. I have nice clean fat to use for cooking.


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## CraigC

Addie said:


> Nothing can help Brussel Sprouts. Except maybe the garbage disposal.



Bacon fat, chopped bacon and balsamic vinegar makes some mighty fine sprouts!


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## JustJoel

CraigC said:


> Bacon fat, chopped bacon and balsamic vinegar makes some mighty fine sprouts!


Indeed! That’s exactly what I made for our Christmas dinner. It was superb!


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## CraigC

JustJoel said:


> Indeed! That’s exactly what I made for our Christmas dinner. It was superb!



You should try it with pancetta or guanciale instead of bacon!


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## Addie

CraigC said:


> Bacon fat, chopped bacon and *balsamic vinegar* makes some mighty fine sprouts!



I read once that since real Balsamic Vinegar is beyond the average pay check, that if you buy a reasonably inexpensive bottle of so called balsamic vinegar and boil it down, the thicker it gets, the closer to the real thing it will taste. Since I have never tasted real Balsamic Vinegar, I have no way of knowing if this really works. I did try a very small taste of a cheap bottle of so called balsamic vinegar and it was brutal. Anything you can do something with that bottle has to be an improvement.


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## CraigC

Addie said:


> I read once that since real Balsamic Vinegar is beyond the average pay check, that if you buy a reasonably inexpensive bottle of so called balsamic vinegar and boil it down, the thicker it gets, the closer to the real thing it will taste. Since I have never tasted real Balsamic Vinegar, I have no way of knowing if this really works. I did try a very small taste of a cheap bottle of so called balsamic vinegar and it was brutal. Anything you can do something with that bottle has to be an improvement.



It is all real balsamic. Aging creates better, thicker versions. You can buy what I call the "table" version, which is what I use for sprouts, or a 120 year old version where a drop is all that is needed, a special occasion condiment, not to be cooked with.


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## Kayelle

I'm glad so many people enjoy Brussel Sprouts and I'm happy for you. 

 Balsamic vinegar, even the kind we can afford, is a great enhancement for many foods and I wouldn't be without it. Try a little of it drizzled on a bowl of sliced strawberries for a tasty treat *Addie*.


Kicking the programing back to Cornbread....


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## GotGarlic

Addie said:


> I read once that since real Balsamic Vinegar is beyond the average pay check, that if you buy a reasonably inexpensive bottle of so called balsamic vinegar and boil it down, the thicker it gets, the closer to the real thing it will taste. Since I have never tasted real Balsamic Vinegar, I have no way of knowing if this really works. I did try a very small taste of a cheap bottle of so called balsamic vinegar and it was brutal. Anything you can do something with that bottle has to be an improvement.





CraigC said:


> It is all real balsamic. Aging creates better, thicker versions. You can buy what I call the "table" version, which is what I use for sprouts, or a 120 year old version where a drop is all that is needed, a special occasion condiment, not to be cooked with.


No, the cheap balsamic in the grocery store is not made using the traditional ingredients and methods. You can read about the differences here. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balsamic_vinegar

I don't know that real balsamic is "beyond the average paycheck," but it's not cheap. You don't have to use very much in order to get good flavor, though. I buy it a few times a year from a store that specializes in vinegars and olive oils. Boiling supermarket balsamic will not result in anything near the authentic flavor.


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## CraigC

GotGarlic said:


> *No, the cheap balsamic in the grocery store is not made using the traditional ingredients and methods.* You can read about the differences here.
> 
> https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balsamic_vinegar
> 
> I don't know that real balsamic is "beyond the average paycheck," but it's not cheap. You don't have to use very much in order to get good flavor, though. I buy it a few times a year from a store that specializes in vinegars and olive oils. Boiling supermarket balsamic will not result in anything near the authentic flavor.



That is if you buy it at the grocery store.


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## GotGarlic

CraigC said:


> That is if you buy it at the grocery store.


Of course. I thought that's what Addie was referring to - "a reasonably inexpensive bottle of so-called balsamic vinegar."


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