259. Corn Bread can be a touchy subject for some people. Add sugar, don't add sugar, corn bread must have kernels of corn, there should be no corn added. Cornmeal, polenta, masa harina or corn flour...which is the best? It depends what part of the country you are from. Up North or down South, this will determine your ingredient do's and don'ts.
My recipe may not be acceptable to everyone, but our family loves it and it's a great compliment to chili or soup.
Corn Bread
1 cup milk
1 egg
2 Tablespoons butter, melted or 2 Tablespoons corn oil
1 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
butter
In a mixing bowl add milk, egg and melted butter/oil. Blend together well. All at once add corn meal, flour, sugar baking powder and salt. Mix together just till liquid is absorbed. Pour into an 8x8" square or round baking dish lightly oiled. Allow batter to sit for 15 minutes.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes. Do not over bake.
Remove from oven and immediately spread butter over the top of the hot corn bread. Slice and serve.
Options: Add 1/2 cup cooked corn, 1 finely chopped jalapeno, 1 cup shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese, 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper. Add any of the optional ingredients after the liquid.
Slice this beautiful bread and serve with butter, honey, jam or preserves. I also use this recipe for Corn Muffins. Either bread or muffin, the recipe has always been a winner.
"The North thinks it knows how to make corn bread, but this is a gross superstition. Perhaps no bread in the world is quite as good as Southern corn bread, and perhaps no bread in the world is quite as bad as the Northern imitation of it."
~Mark Twain
