There was a time when I could give my children a wholesome snack in the afternoon. Gone are the days when they will be satisfied with apples dipped in peanut butter, homemade granola bars or honey cornbread and milk. My two sweet boys have grown into teenage eating machines. They don’t eat snacks anymore. They eat entire meals in between their meals. I can’t really blame them. They don’t have an ounce of fat on their frame. They are tall and athletic so I guess if I could eat like they do, I probably would.
I miss the snacks of childhood. Sometimes I grab an apple and the peanut butter and have myself a snack. Once in a while I make honey cornbread because it tastes so good with a nice cold glass of milk. Of course, cornbread isn’t just a snack. It is a delicious to many meals. And what makes cornbread even more appealing is that it can be sweet or it can be spicy. You can flavor it in many tasty ways.
Here is a little trivial information about the etymology of the word “corn”. Corn is an inherently American food. The word “corn” comes from old English “kurnam” "small seed". The general meaning of the old English word was "grain with the seed still in" (e.g. barleycorn) rather than a particular plant.
According to etymology sources corn was “locally understood to denote the leading crop of a district. Restricted to corn on the cob in America (c.1600, originally Indian corn, but the adjective was dropped), usually wheat in England, oats in Scotland and Ireland, while korn means "rye" in parts of Germany.” Maize was the Taino word for this plant in the West Indies. The word “maize” is the source of the Spanish, Italian and French word for corn.
If you have only used box mixes for corn bread or muffins you probably experience a dry cornbread. Put the boxes back on the shelf and make your own corn bread. It is quick, easy and won’t crumble if you look at it the wrong way. Both the following recipes are moist and delicious. One is sweet and one is spicy.
Honey Cornbread
Ingredients
2/3 cup sugar
¼ cup butter, softened
4 eggs
½ cup orange blossom honey
1 1/3 cups milk
2 1/3 cups flour
1 ½ Tablespoon baking powder
½ cup corn meal
1 tsp salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix sugar and butter until fluffy.
3. Add in eggs, honey and milk and mix well.
4. In a separate bowl gently whisk the flour, baking powder, corn meal and salt.
5. Slowly pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients while continuously mixing.
6. Pour batter in greased 11×14-inch baking pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread (Ina Garten)
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups milk
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions
3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeño peppers
Directions
1. Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't over mix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions and jalapenos, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar and extra chopped scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Baltic Maid
January 14, 2012 at 2:15 pm //
What a great presentation! Love it!
myfudo
January 14, 2012 at 2:51 pm //
Thank you Baltic Maid.
Terra
January 14, 2012 at 3:14 pm //
I adore cornbread! Sounds perfect adding some citrus love to the delicious bread:-) Yum! Take care, Terra
Lottie @ Lottiesworldofcakes
January 14, 2012 at 7:52 pm //
This looks gorgeous!
myfudo
January 15, 2012 at 4:47 pm //
Thank you Lottie!
jules @ bananamondaes
January 14, 2012 at 11:56 pm //
I really like cornbread and have only made savoury ones – love the idea of this one – looks delicious.
myfudo
January 15, 2012 at 8:21 am //
Thank you so much Jules!
Kiri W.
January 15, 2012 at 6:47 am //
How interesting – I’ve only ever had savory cornbread, but the honey sounds like I might enjoy it much more. Great idea!
myfudo
January 15, 2012 at 5:19 pm //
Thank you so much Kiri! Hope you are having a fab weekend.
sara826
January 16, 2012 at 6:08 am //
That looks fantastic! Yummy yummy!
Lindsey@Lindselicious
January 16, 2012 at 2:59 pm //
Oh that top picture is making me drool. Look at that sexy looking honey- seducing the corn bread like that… LOL YUM!
Carlo
August 28, 2012 at 2:44 pm //
(Paperback) Review from [...] Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook is a buoyant book, one that crtebeales the vast offerings of the earth in their seasonal best rather than mourn the loss of gluten-filled grains. Embracing the gluten-free, Cerier leaps joyfully into discovery, leaving gluten-filled grains in the dust without a backward glance. Should you be dealing with gluten-free for health reasons, you will feel worries melt away as you dive into Cerier’s delicious recipes. Should you merely be curious about the wide world of grains, happy discoveries lie ahead. As a teacher, Cerier knows how to teach about the new grains, and offers tips on gluten-free cooking with ease and accuracy. Her writing is so infused with both her love of life and the foods that nourish it, that it is a pleasure to read. Her knowledge would be formidable if it was not so enthusiastically shared. There are tips throughout the book, such as the secret of putting sea vegetables in the cooking water with beans to reduce gas-producing enzymes. In what may be our favorite short section, Cerier devotes a few pages to cooking with color and artistry to turn kitchen tasks into kitchen pleasures. The recipes are innovative and creative. Start the day with a bountiful breakfast, advises Cerier. She gives recipes for Power Porridge with Goji Berries, Oat and Raisin Muffins, Coconut Quinoa Waffles with Maca, even includes a Miso Watercress Soup a classic breakfast in Japan. For main course suggestions Cerier offers a wide range of grains and beans recipes such as Soba with Tempeh and Broccoli in Coconut Sauce, Roasted Vegetable and Quinoa Casserole, Savory Stuffed Winter Squash, Corn Grits with Sauteed Onion, Kale, and Cheddar, or a Coconut Curry Lentil and Millet Stew. Listed as sides are a variety of recipes that might also serve as a main course. You will find Basmati and Wild Rice Pilaf, Coconut Jasmine Rice with Goji Berries and Shitakes, Madagascar Pink Rice with Cashews and Scallions, Bhutanese Red Rice Pilaf with Vegetables, Spiced Yams with Pecans, Tomato-Lentil Stew with Kale. Cerier packs the book with sauces and toppings, often vital to grain cooking. Inspired by global discoveries, Cerier offers Russian Dressing, Italian Dressing, Moroccan Tahini Sauce, Thai Peanut Sauce. There are sauces from a Cilantro Pesto to a gourmet treat Red Wine with Porcini Sauce. Desserts, often the bane of the gluten-free, are included with such luscious recipes as Hazelnut Butter Cookies, Date and Coconut Cookies, Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie, Topless Blueberry Pie, Granny Smith Apple Crumb Pie. Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook is a book for all seasons and for all who love good food.
Syafawaney
August 28, 2012 at 4:46 pm //
Celiac disease is a poroly understood digestive disorder that affects both children and adults. It is an auto-immune disease that affects the small intestine, and is the result of an intolerance to gluten found in wheat, rye and barley and products derived from these grains. There are no drugs or a cure for this disease. Only a diet free of foods containing gluten is effective in living with the disease and avoiding the symptoms which make celiac disease so troubling.While there are a number of gluten-free cookbooks on the market, Donna Washburn and Heather Butt have elevated gluten-free (GF) cooking from relatively boring, excessively healthful recipes to delicious, easy to prepare recipes made from easily obtainable ingredients. The book is well laid out, with good, sensible information on the ingredients required for safe gluten-free eating. The illustrations are well-done and colourful, and accurately reflect how the dishes look when properly prepared. All the recipes we have tried have been successful and tasty, but several stand out as exceptional. These include ciabatta (p. 38) an excellent substitute for regular bread, without the pound-cake texture normally found in other GF breads; the batter fried fish (p. 59); and the chocolate chip cookies (p. 160).The equipment and ingredient glossaries provide useful tips and important information for making the recipes successfully. The common sense approach to what is a serious dietary problem for many children and adults alike truly helps to demystify some of the more poroly understood aspects of this disease, and makes it less of a chore and a lot more fun to eat well without wheat and wheat-based products.