I knew I wanted to make some sort of loaded cornbread. Jalapeno-cheddar cornbread, to be exact. But cornbread recipes vary so much that I felt doing ample cross-referencing was appropriate. Some use more cornmeal than flour, some use cornmeal and flour in equal amounts. Some have almost a full cup of white sugar, others stick with a small amount of brown sugar. But I noted several consistencies across the recipes and decided to use those as my starting point.
This cornbread includes cheddar cheese, jalapenos, and corn kernels for flavor and texture. It uses cornmeal in equal amounts with flour, this being because I didn't want too much of a crumb. It had to be able to support all of my add-ins without breaking apart. Also, because I was aiming for a more savory cornbread, it has no refined sugar- only a small amount of honey for subtle sweetness. What was the final result, you ask? Out of this world! There's nothing like creating your own recipe and everyone loving it. I had one woman come up to me at the party and say, "I'm a cornbread connoisseur, and I say these muffins are to die for." I couldn't believe it!
In conclusion, if you make this cornbread, you probably won't regret it.
Sarah's Summer Cornbread
-makes 12 muffins or 1 8x8 baking dish-
1 cup medium grind whole-grain cornmeal
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup oil (I like to use light olive oil)
1 egg
1/4 cup honey
1 1/4 cups grated cheddar cheese (I used mild but I'm sure sharp would be yummy)
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and diced
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
Preheat oven to 375 (350 for 8x8 dish). Spray 12 regular muffin cups or baking dish and set aside.
Sift cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, egg, and oil in another bowl, then whisk in honey. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir until incorporated.
Gently stir in cheese, jalapeno, and corn kernels. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups or pour into pan.
Bake until tester comes out clean, about 20-23 minutes (a little more for 8x8 dish).
Note: I plan to make this again using diced bell peppers instead of corn kernels. It would also be great with a little Monterey Jack in the mix.Your add-ins can vary according to personal taste!