Cooking Around the Calendar

I know we are all still working on the December holidays, but I wanted to get a head start on the first dinner of the New Year.

Varied parts of the U.S. have traditions regarding foods that are considered lucky if eaten on New Year’s Day. In my family, that means a big pot of black-eyed peas, served with cornbread and piccalilli relish.

Today, we talk about the cornbread. I can’t say there is anything groundbreaking about this recipe; no flashy ingredients, just good honest cornbread.

This is the cornbread I make to build my Thanksgiving cornbread dressing; or serve with my butterbean soup, or New Year’s black-eyed peas. The recipe was originally crafted years ago by my father, and over the years has been customized by my mother.

I remember the first time I shopped at a Piggly Wiggly down south. There was an entire aisle of cornmeal. Other parts of the country you are lucky to find more than a couple brands. And I have to say that the quality of the cornmeal matters very much. I like to use a good quality cornmeal. If you sniff your cornmeal and it smells like corn, you have the right stuff. Due to its natural oils, cornmeal can go rancid over time. For a longer shelf life, it’s always best to store your cornmeal in the freezer.

Cornbread

Just a good honest cornbread.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Servings: 8

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Southern

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 1 1/2 cups corn meal
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons baking soda
• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup buttermilk

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Sift together dry ingredients. In a separatebowl, whisk together the eggs and oil, then whisk in the buttermilk. Add thedry ingredients and mix until just combined.
3. Pour batter into a well greased 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, or until it passes the toothpick test. The bread should be lightly browned around the edges.

Notes

The toothpick test: Used for testing the doneness on most baked good, bread, cakes, or the like.  Insert a toothpick into the center of a baked item. If the toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, the item is done. If wet batter sticks to the toothpick, it needs more time to bake.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!