I have a mild obsession with quick breads. Not a week goes by where I don't make at least three batches of batches of biscuits or cornbread or loaf bread. Sweet, savory, plain, loaded, I can't get enough of these versitile delicious breads. Carbaholics Anonymous- come and get me. I'm so guilty!
My "retirement" dream, and I'm putting this down because recording your dreams is the first step to realizing them is to open a cafe/bakery featuring the many quick bread variations that I've fallen in love with.
In the meantime, I'll keep working, refining and recording those recipes here.
Today's recipe for Honey Sweet Cornbread is a sweet and flavorful cornbread. Sweetened with honey and coconut palm sugar, you get a robust sweetness while keeping the glycemic index relatively low. The pepper, nutmeg and cardamom provide subtle, layered secondary flavors, while the olive oil and almond milk absorb the sweetness in a nutty earthiness. Long story short, it all just works!
Your result is a sweet, aromatic cornbread, that is crisp around the edges and moist in the center that pairs perfectly with your favorite savory chili or a light fruity jam.
Here's what you need:
1 cup yellow cornmeal 1 cup all purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/3 cup coconut palm sugar 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon finely ground cardamom 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground peppercorns 1 cup unsweetened almond milk* 2 large eggs 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/3 cup raw honey 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
*Feel free to substitute your milk of choice. Almond gives this recipe a rich nutty flavor.
**This recipe is great for those with milk allergies or lactose sensitivity.
Here's what to do:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. You're going to use the lower rack, so it's probably easiest to adjust it prior to turning on the heat.
In a large mixing bowl, combine your dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, sea salt, nutmeg, cardamom, peppercorns).
In a small mixing bowl, gently beat the milk, olive oil, vanilla and eggs with a whisk. Once uniform, pour the mixture into the dry ingredient bowl.
Make sure your honey is soft. Raw honey, if stored near a window can stiffen which makes it difficult to work with.
I like to drop my raw honey in the center of the bowl. Using a mixing spoon and some elbow grease, I mix the batter until smooth.
It will smell wonderful!
Go ahead and take a deep breath. Enjoy what you've created so far.
I like to work with round cooking pans, but the shape doesn't matter. Use what you've got.
Before pouring in the batter, I use canola oil to coat the pan.
Spread your batter evenly, then place the pan in the oven for twenty minutes.
Let the cornbread cool for 15 minutes before you enjoy.
Yum!