When I set out to find the best cornbread recipe, I learned that there are people that prefer sweet cornbread, and there are people that prefer savoury cornbread.  Personally, I prefer cornbread that is savoury and plain.  I tried a few cornbread recipes that were, in my opinion, far from appetizing and had almost decided to give up on cornbread.  But when I saw a cornbread recipe in The Modern Baker (a cookbook that I received from an old neighbour), I thought, let’s try one more.  I am so glad that I did, because this cornbread recipe put all others to shame.  This was very flavourful, and the texture was the perfect balance of crumbly and moist.  I finally understand why so many people love this stuff.  John, who is much more familiar with southern food than I am, said it was the best cornbread he’s ever had, and my dad couldn’t get enough of it.  According to Nick Malgieri, this recipe is a Southwestern American version of cornbread.  Another great thing about this recipe is that it works well with added ingredients, such as chedder cheese and jalapenos.

More recently, I turned this recipe into finger food for John’s housewarming party, by baking it in a 9 inch x 13 inch pan and cutting it into 36 mini wedges.  I recommend freezing the cornbread first, as it was much easier to cut while it was still semi frozen.  I had a lot of cornbread leftover after the party and people were very happy to take extras home with them.

Favourite Cornbread Recipe

makes one 9 or 10 inch round cornbread or a 9 inch x 13 inch rectangular cornbread; adapted slightly from Nick Malgieri’s Old Fashioned Cornbread recipe in The Modern Baker

2 cups ground yellow cornmeal  (Note:  The original recipe suggests using stone ground cornmeal, but my finely ground worked fine.)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour  (Note:  When measuring flour, spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup and then level it off with the back of a knife.  Otherwise you might end up using densely packed and, hence, too much flour.)

1/4 cup granulated white sugar, or more if preferred

2 tablespoons baking powder

2 large eggs

2 cups of light cream or half-and-half or buttermilk or milk

8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, melted  (Note:  If you are using unsalted butter, also add 2 teaspoons of coarse Kosher sea salt.)

softened butter or vegetable oil cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F with the rack set in the middle of the oven.  Grease a 9 or 10 inch round cake pan with softened butter or vegetable oil cooking spray.  Note that I used a metal, non stick pan.  (Alternatively, grease a 9 inch x 13 inch rectangular pan.  Note that I used a metal, non-stick pan.)  Trace the bottom of the cake pan onto a piece of parchment paper using a pencil.  Cut the shape out of the parchment paper and place it into the bottom of the greased cake pan.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, cream, and melted butter together on medium speed until mixed.  Then, on the lowest speed, stir in the cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and flour until combined.  The batter will be thick.

Alternatively, if you don’t have a stand mixer:  In a large bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, and baking powder until well mixed and set aside.  In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, and melted butter.  Add all of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently stir or fold until the ingredients have been incorporated.  The batter will be thick.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth out the top using a rubber spatula.  Bake until the cornbread has risen, the top turns a light golden brown and starts to crack, and until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or, preferably, with a few crumbs attached to it.  This should take approximately 30 minutes if you use a 10 inch cake pan, approximately 40 minutes if you use a 9 inch cake pan, and approximately 20 minutes if you use a 9 inch x 13 inch pan.  Check 10 minutes prior to the expected finished cooking time, as it is very important not to over bake the cornbread.  Once the cornbread has finished baking, carefully remove it from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack to cool.  Don’t forget to remove the piece of parchment paper as well.

For serving, simply cut the cornbread into wedges.  This can be served warm or at room temperature.  Completely cooled leftovers can be stored well covered at room temperature for 2 or 3 days or for longer in the refrigerator.  Also, this freezes well.  Cornbread can be reheated in a preheated oven (325 degrees F), covered loosely with aluminum foil for 15 minutes.