This is the perfect cornbread. It has a tender, fluffy crumb (thanks to the full stick of butter & the buttermilk) and a thick, crunchy crust. Plus, it’s made with fresh (or frozen) corn – not just corn meal. So it’s got amazing real corn flavor. It’s also not too sweet or cake-like. Delish!
Gluten-Free Option: Red Mill gluten-free flour tastes funny – too garbanzo-ish, I think. But the following combo works well: 1/2 c oat flour, 1/2 c spelt flour, 1/4 c amaranth flour and 1/4 tapioca flour. If you’re celiac, you won’t want to use the spelt – but for just gluten intolerance it seems fine. 😉
1 1/2 c. flour
1 c yellow cornmeal (this recipe works best with Quaker cornmeal)
2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
3/4 t table salt
1/4 c light brown sugar
3/4 c frozen corn kernels, thawed (or fresh, sliced from the cob)
1 c buttermilk
2 large eggs
8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
Heat oven to 400 degrees, put rack in middle position, spray an 8-inch glass pan.
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
In a food processor, chop the corn kernels coarsely. Add brown sugar and buttermilk, then eggs. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir just a few times. Add melted butter and stir just enough to combine everything.
Pour batter into prepared baking dish and smooth the top flat with a rubber spatula. Bake for 25 – 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes when it comes out of the oven before trying to invert it onto a plate to cool the rest of the way.
Jalapeno-Cheddar cornbread
Reduce salt to 1/2 t and sugar to 2 T. Shred 4 ounces (1 1/3 c) sharp cheddar cheese – put half in the dry ingredients and sprinkle half on top of the batter before baking. Add a chopped jalapeno and 3/8 t cayenne to the dry ingredients as well.
Blueberry Breakfast cornbread
Reduce salt to 1/2 t and add 1 c fresh or frozen (do not thaw) blueberries to the flour mixture. Toss well to coat. Reduce buttermilk to 3/4 and add 1/4 c maple syrup to the food processor, along with buttermilk. Sprinkle 2 T sugar over butter in baking dish just before baking.