I know, I know. This is a Southern food blog and the title of this post reads "Maple Cornbread." It's usually considered a soul food sin to put sugar in the cornbread; down here we're supposed to like it dry and bland. I just can't help it, though. I've always preferred mine a little bit sweet. To be honest, the recipe already posted on Dixie Caviar just doesn't do it for me. It's perfectly fine and good for making dressing, but it's not what I want to pour my chili over. (And I mean no offense to Mama Dip; she does know what she's talking about.)
Speaking of chili, it's that time of year. I just put the finishing touches on a super-savory Braised Beef and Andouille recipe (link coming soon!) and I needed the perfect accompaniment. Of all the recipes in all my cookbooks, this Maple Cornbread just stood out from the rest. I whipped it up in the blink of the eye; it's a pantry recipe in every sense. Might I just say: oh. my. lawdy. You know cornbread is good when you can't stop eating it straight from the skillet, and that's before I even added butter. Seriously, I couldn't resist this stuff. Half the pan was gone before I could even catch my breath!
So I'm sorry to all you cornbread purist out there, but this time the Yankees seem to have gotten one right...
MAPLE CORNBREAD
I've since enjoyed this recipe (3 times in 2 weeks) with both Steen's Cane Syrup and sorghum syrup. It was my way of trying to redneck-ify it. This slightly-sweet cornbread is good any way you go about it. Let's just wave the white flag here, people!
Source: King Arthur Flour Yields 8 - 10 slices
1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup yellow cornmeal 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup milk 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or sorghum or cane syrup) 1/4 cup melted butter 2 large eggs
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.. Lightly grease an 8-inch cast iron skillet.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the milk, maple syrup, melted butter, and eggs. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Pour the batter into the skillet and bake for 21 to 23 minutes (being careful not to over bake; it will cook a bit more in the skillet), until it's light golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center barely comes out clean. Remove it from the oven, and serve warm with butter.
