Homemade Cornbread

And no, I don't mean made from a box at home, I mean made from scratch. The fantastic thing about this recipe is that I have all of the ingredients on hand all the time and it's a very kid-friendly cooking experience - both kids helped. Of course, I used my 50/50 flour so it took longer to bake; I'm not sure how to compensate for that without burning the outside. I used an 8x8 square pan and baked it in the toaster oven (I did preheat though) The kids and Joe loved it and I even allowed us to use the Shedd's Spread Spreadable Butter on it. Thank you Martha!


Cheddar Cornbread
from the July/August issue of EveryDay Food

Prep: 15 minutes Total: 55 minutes
Baking the cornbread in a preheated cast-iron skillet gives it a crisp brown crust and a moist interior. If you don't have one, in step 2, use an 8-inch square metal baking pan instead of the skillet. When the cornbread is baked, let it cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and place right side up on a wire rack.
Ingredients
Serves 6. (note from Natalie: served 4 for 2 days)
1 cup all-purpose flour - spooned and leveled
1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
2 tablespoons butter
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, salt, and pepper; make a well in center of flour mixture. Add buttermilk and eggs to well, and whisk to loosen eggs. Gently incorporate dry ingredients, then mix in cheese.
Place butter in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet; bake until butter is melted. Remove from oven, and tilt to coat bottom and sides.
Pour batter into prepared skillet; bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cornbread cool in skillet at least 15 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature. Wrap completely cooled bread in plastic, and store at room temperature up to 1 day.
First published
Copyright 2007 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.