trixie's cornbread

Not sure how this recipe came to be but I started researching cornbread a couple of years ago looking for the PERFECT one - didn't find it so I experimented until I got what I was looking for: a somewhat sweet cornbread to stand up to my spicy chili (this one has maple syrup!), very moist and flecked with actual corn. It's so easy to make.

Preheat oven to 375.

2 1/3c yellow cornmeal
1c flour
2-3T sugar
4t baking powder
1 1/4t salt
can creamed corn
1/2c cold butter, cut into 1/4" pcs
4 eggs
3/4c REAL maple syrup
1 1/3c buttermilk

This is a great place to use your food processor if you have one. If not, no worries. I forgot I actually own one now and made my last batch by hand...so it's really no big deal.

You'll want two bowls to start with. And spray or otherwise lube up a 9x13" pan. Whisk all the dry ingredients together. Then crumble in the butter cubes. If you have the food proc, give it 20-30 seconds of short pulses to get the butter all broken up into the dry ingredients - it will start to look and feel a little like damp sand and will hold together when you grab some of it. If you're doing this by hand, wash those mitts and get them in there. (Or you can also start the process with a pastry cutter thingie too, but it won't take you all the way to the end. Forks can also work but in my experience, it's a pain in the arse and your hands work better.) Basically you want to take the bits of butter and get them all coated with the cornmeal mix. Then sort of smoosh them between your fingers while you bring in more of the dry mix. The idea is to incorporate most of the butter and get it really small in there but don't worry if it's not totally blended. Get as close as you can. By hand, this will take a good 5 or so minutes of handling. Then just sort of check the mix by rubbing it between your palms while still adding dry mix. Make sure the butter bits are pretty teeny and well distributed.

In the second bowl, whisk up the wet ingredients. The idea here is just to get things well-incorporated and make sure the eggs are broken up. Add the creamed corn to this mix as well. Then you can just add wet to dry and stir until JUST combined. Don't go overboard or the bread won't rise correctly. Be gentle!

Throw all of this in your oiled pan and bake:
9 x 13" should take around 45 minutes
9 x 9" probably will take about 45 minutes as well, as they'll be thicker.
Either way, you're looking for a nice browned edge that's pulling away from the edge of the pan and when you insert a toothpick into the center, it comes out clean.

Voila!

trixie's tip:

Maple Butter: this one is so easy...but makes the cornbread so happy. Take a stick (or 1/2 stick, whatever) of room temperature butter and whip together with a few tablespoons of the maple syrup. If you have a nice flaky sea salt, add in a teaspoon of that as well. If your butter is already salted, you may want to skip this. In the end, it's an excellent sweet and salty happening on top of your cornbread. Apple butter is also highly recommended here!