Cornbread

[stonewallred]

I make cornbread on a regular basis. One of my favorite methods is to sweat some diced onions and diced jalapeno peppers in a little olive oil. I then add them to my cornbread batter, along with red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper to taste, and cumin powder. Mix well and then cook as normal. About 5 minutes before the cornbread is done, I will brush melted butter over the top and give a light shaking of cumin on the top for color.
It goes well with pintos, or chili.

[Carbonite]

I LOVE cornbread and even better with the jalapenos in it. Here's my problem: I usually use the jiffy mix (partly lazy, partly because I don't have a good scratch recipe) but honestly, all jiffy does anyway is take your dry ingredients and pre-measure for you lol...

Any way here's my question... Jiffy mix as prepared, is more cakey, and very crumbly. How can I make the cornbread slightly more doughy so it doesn't fall apart when you pick a piece or muffin up? More egg? add a bit of flour? Both?

[stonewallred]

I use House Autry cornbread mix usually.
My grandfather used to use corn meal, self-rising flour, an egg and some oil for his.
Alton Brown from Good Eats says that tenderness is from the fat in biscuits, so maybe a bit more oil?

[Carbonite]

Duh I should have thought of that! Thanks! Shortening makes better chocolate chip cookies than plain ole butter, so why not in cornbread (oil too) I don't care anyway if it's good for me, i don't eat to live, i live to eat!

[Bladeforger]

I LOVE cornbread and even better with the jalapenos in it. Here's my problem: I usually use the jiffy mix (partly lazy, partly because I don't have a good scratch recipe) but honestly, all jiffy does anyway is take your dry ingredients and pre-measure for you lol...

Any way here's my question... Jiffy mix as prepared, is more cakey, and very crumbly. How can I make the cornbread slightly more doughy so it doesn't fall apart when you pick a piece or muffin up? More egg? add a bit of flour? Both?

A good scratch cornbread recipe:
I can get this mixed up and in the oven in about 3-4 minutes... and that includes washing the mixing bowl.

Start preheating your oven to 350 - 375.

Grease a cake pan and flour it with some of your cup of flour and dump the rest into the mixing bowl.

1 cup flour
1 cup corn meal
1 tbsp of the non-aluminum baking powder (like Rumford)
1 tsp salt

Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly. A spoon works just dandy; no mixer required.

Add:
2 eggs
1/4 cup corn oil
1 1/4 cups milk or buttermilk

Pour / scrape into your floured cake pan.

Bake until done. 30-45 minutes, depending on your temperature you picked and how crispy you like your cornbread.

[uniservice]

If it has eggs or sugar in it it ain't cornbread.

[wgrr]

If it has eggs or sugar in it it ain't cornbread.

+1 and the oil has to be bacon drippin's cured or uncured and it needs to be cooked in a well seasoned cast iron skillet.

Try it, you'll like it, it's a way of life.

[Bladeforger]

If it has eggs or sugar in it it ain't cornbread.

+1 and the oil has to be bacon drippin's cured or uncured and it needs to be cooked in a well seasoned cast iron skillet.

Try it, you'll like it, it's a way of life.

I've tried it (cast iron skillet), a number of times, and even have tried the OnTheGrillRadio recipe by Dominic, formerly Tony Fatso, where you put the batter in an hot, oiled cast iron skillet and cook it on the stovetop for a few minutes. Doesn't work well for me.

I gave a nice, works-every-time cornbread recipe that is a scratch recipe and a great way to cook it without it sticking. Put it up for a guy that didn't have a good recipe. If you don't like MY recipe (which is fast, easy, tasty, and works every single time I do it), then I got a request...

Rather than just make comments, post YOUR recipe. Ingredients, methodology, instructions, particulars, etc.

(And wgrr, I don't like bacon grease or ham. I'll eat super-crispy bacon, but only if it will s.n.a.p in half and has spent a few minutes on a paper towel to get the grease off. That's a preference, but feel free to put your recipe on up anyway. I'll read it and might even try it with a substitute for the bacon grease.)

I've tried a BUNCH of cornbread recipes because I like cornbread.

Keith

[Bladeforger]

Here's another three recipes, ingredients only. The third one is kind of a combo of the first two and comes out quite well also. The first two I got online somewhere or another and the third one I experimented with based on those two. The third one is the best of the three in my opinion, but the first one is really good, too.

They all have eggs, by the way. None of them have sugar. All specify oil, and you pick your own flavor of oil. The baking powder is the regular Clabber Girl or such like; however, remember to increase the amount if you use the aluminum free baking powder. Directions are omitted because I have this list stored in a file with just the ingredients.

Keith

365 Day Cornbread
Corn meal 1 1/2 cups
Flour none
Baking powder none
Baking soda 1/2 tsp
Salt 1 tsp
Egg 2
Milk or buttermilk 1 1/4 cups
Oil 1/4 cup

Buttermilk Cornbread with flour
Corn meal 2 cups
Flour 1/2 cup
Baking powder 1 tsp
Baking soda 1/2 tsp
Salt 1 tsp
Egg 1
Milk or buttermilk 2 cups
Oil 1/4 cup

Another Variation
Corn meal 1 1/2 cups
Flour 1/2 cup
Baking powder 1/2 tsp
Baking soda 1/2 tsp
Salt 1 tsp
Egg 2
Milk or buttermilk 1 1/2 cups
Oil 1/4 cup

[Tuffey]

Thanks guys for sharing different recipes of cornbread and all the recipes are nice and easy to cook and i will try making it soon because i like cornbread.

[gtt]

I'll try to remember to transcribe or scan a killer recipe for Mexican Cornbread that will make your eyes roll back in your head. It has creamed corn, chiles and cheese in it, and I swear, it is the ONLY cornbreadI will eat anymore. Tastey, moist, and lovely to look at, but oh, so much better to EAT!

[gtt]

HERE YA GO!

[Nuclrchiller]

I just had to be part of a discussion on cornbread! Don't know nuthin' 'bout cookin', but consider myself an expert on eatin'. My favorite is my wife's with a plate of dried beans (butter beans, pinto beans, navy beans, black-eyed peas,...) with a slice of onion, and some tomato slices (straight from the garden)! Yum-yum! I think I have a new first request for her when she returns from visiting her aunt!