Cajun Cooking|Simple Buttermilk Cornbread Recipe

The world is full of cornbread recipes. Mexican cornbread, Cajun cornbread with onions and creamed corn, cornbread with cheese, cornbread with cooked ground beef and cheese... the list goes on.

This simple buttermilk cornbread recipe can became a base for all of the variations mentioned, once you get the hang of it.

Remember, the more moisture in the cornbread batter, the longer it's going to take to cook. That just makes sense.

Some folks like to turn up the heat to around 450 degrees F. to get the job done more quickly. This method is fine and it does save time, especially when you have to serve a bunch of people in a hurry--like deer hunters at a campsite.

When the high heat method of baking cornbread is used, the cook must be more vigilant and pay close attention to the process.

If you want your cornbread to taste a little better, on the other hand, try baking at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. 

When baking, check the cornbread occasionally and keep your eye on the crust. When the crust begins to turn a golden brown it's an indication that most of the moisture has cooked out of the bread. 

Remove the finished cornbread from the hot oven and set aside to cool before serving.

Ingredients

• 2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• buttermilk
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 Tbs. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda 

Instructions

1. mix all of the above ingredients together, except the buttermilk, and mix well
2. while stirring, slowly add enough buttermilk (about a cup or more) to the mix until a thick batter is attained
3. pour the batter in your favorite vessel and bake at 350 degrees F. for about 1 hour or until the crust begins to turn a golden-brown
4. cut cornbread into 6 - 8 equal size servings.

Note: I don't usually measure how much buttermilk I add to my cornbread. It's a little different for me each time. Most of the time I merely add a small amount at the time while stirring briskly until it reaches the right consistency. Think of a volcano and how the thick melted lava slowly flows down. That is the consistency that I look for.

Another example of the right consistency is when you load a tablespoon full of the cornbread batter and turn it upside down it will not drop, but if you tilt the spoonful on its side, it will slowly pour out.

Tip: If you don't have buttermilk on hand go HERE to find a few substitutes.

Bon appetite! Enjoy.

KT