Dixie Girl Makes Yankee Cornbread

My mother was from California and moved South after marrying my father.  She was a great cook and baker, and many of her recipes were of a Southern influence. She never became a full-fledged Southern cook, and she always referred to her cornbread as "Yankee cornbread".  As a  Dixie girl influenced by my mother's recipe, I developed my own "Yankee cornbread".  Just what everyone wants, you'll find this cornbread moist inside and crunchy outside.  A cast-iron skillet is essential in achieving the crunchy crust.  Enjoy it with my Chili with Character~No Beans or Beans and Tailgates!

                                        I'll Have a Piece of That!

Serves 4**

Ingredients

• 1 & 1/2 c. stone-ground yellow cornmeal (white is fine)
• 2/3 c. all-purpose flour
• 3 TB sugar
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 TB baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 egg (slightly beaten)
• 1 TB plus approx. 1/4 cup* vegetable oil
• 1 & 1/4 c. buttermilk (You can substitute cultured Buttermilk Blend - See my Morning Muffins with Bran and Raspberries for more details on this blend.)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425º. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
2. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients; add the egg, 1 TB vegetable oil* and buttermilk. Mix just until all the ingredients are incorporated.  Let the batter sit while you prepare the skillet.  (You'll see the batter start to rise in the bowl - that's good!)
3. Add enough oil, approx. 1/4 cup*, to a seasoned 8" cast-iron skillet to a depth of approx. 1/4";  using a brush, coat the sides of the skillet with some of the oil. 
4. Heat greased skillet in oven for about 10 minutes or until a drop of cold water sizzles.
5. Handling the hot skillet very carefully with oven mitts, take out of the oven and pour the batter into the skillet.  (You'll notice the edges of the batter start to cook right away.)
6. Place the filled skillet back into the oven and bake for approx. 22 minutes or until firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Carefully remove the cornbread from the oven.  After about 5 minutes, loosen the cornbread from the edges of the pan with a knife and turn out onto a serving plate. Enjoy!

**Tip:  For 8 servings, use a 10" skillet and double the ingredients, except use about 1/3 c. plus 2 TB oil to grease the skillet and bake at 450º for approx. 25 minutes.

Printable Recipe

                                         Pass the Butter Please!