I grew up eating corn bread-it was one of my mom’s favorites! She’d bake it to go with chili or Mexican style meals, or in muffins for snacking. It wasn’t until I grew up, joined the Army and eventually moved to Alabama that I realized there were some major regional differences to cornbread!
The cornbread that I prefer is a mix of white flour and cornmeal with a touch of sweetness in it. I have found that to be pretty typical of cornbread in the North, where the bread from the South has more cornmeal and is not sweet at all.
So here is my basic cornbread recipe. This quick, easy and inexpensive recipe tastes great baked in muffins or in a pan, and is a great bread to go with soups, stews and chilis. Try it toasted with butter & jelly the next day. Mmmm~breakfast is served!
Sweet Northern Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 C Flour
- 1 C Cornmeal
- 4 TBS Sugar
- 1 TBS Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 Eggs
- 1 C Milk
- 1/4 C Oil
Instructions
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Mix together all dry ingredients in one bowl.
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Beat all wet ingredients together by hand in another bowl.
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Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients and beat by hand until just smooth.
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Pour batter into a greased 9X9 baking dish and bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes.
Variations:
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Pour into muffin tins or a cast iron skillet instead of a baking dish.
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Add 12oz drained corn-regular or "fiesta" style.
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Leave out milk and add a can of creamed corn.
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Fold in 1 C cheese before baking.
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Add in 4 oz can of diced green chilies.
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Use melted butter or shortening instead of the oil.
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Substitute applesauce for the oil.
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Use skim milk for the milk.
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Use 3 egg whites instead of 2 regular eggs.
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Substitute whole wheat flour for the white flour.
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Use Splenda, brown sugar, molasses, maple syrup or honey in place of the sugar.
How do you like your cornbread?
Well Jenn in a different route but similar to you I have noticed the regional differences in cornbread. I grew up in the Southwest and I like my cornbread make of yellow corn meal and to taste like corn, and actually somewhat dense (me personally). I lived in Memphis for about a year and the cornbread was like cake, when I moved to Maryland is was a balance of the both types at dinner parties or restraunts. I learned to appreciate the different kinds. My hubby likes it when I put jalapenos and a little shredded cheese in it, my M-I-L likes hers with corn in it, me I like it, as I stated earlier, yellow corn and kind of dense. My Dad made it this way so I suppose it influenced me:) There are tons of variations though!!LOL I can picture a recipe book titled” Cornbread for Every Day of the Year”
I use the same recipe except – I use 2/3 c. Sugar and a little molasses. Its the best!
So does this recipe taste more like Jiffy than the typical recipe for Southern cornbread? I like my cornbread with creamed corn and sausage in it 🙂
I’m an Alabama girl, so (you guessed it) I don’t like cornbread to be sweet at all!
I’ve always added a touch of sugar to my cornbread, and I bake it in a cast iron skillet. The only time I do not add any sugar at all is when I make cornbread dressing. Then, I prefer it to be savory. I have found that if I add poultry seasoning, thyme, savory, pepper and other herbs to the cornbread batter when I make dressing, it comes out wonderfully. I prefer doing that to adding the seasonings and herbs after the cornbread is baked.
Amyriln-The funny thing about the regional differences is that folks don’t EXPECT them, so the first time they order it in a different region it’s a bit “what the heck!” moment 😉
Paige-Ohhh, I’m sure the molasses would be delicious!
Kat-Yes, I think it tastes more like the Jiffy Bread style
Lanie-See, I know these things!
Angel-Ohh, that sounds like a smart way to bake it for dressing. I’m a white bread dressing kind of gal myself tho-with Italian sweet sausage added in. Mmm. I think the white bread vs corn bread dressing is another regional difference 😉
I like it southern style of course living in Arkansas. Sweet cornbread is like cake!
Ah! This explains why my Yankee husband doesn’t like my cornbread!
Jane-glad to be of marital help 😉