My mother makes the perfect cornbread that I have never been able to even closely imitate. Until this recipe courtesy of Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide. It wasn’t exactly like I remember Mom’s but it is certainly way better than some of my previous attempts. When my husband saw it, he said “Wow, not flat this time.” It used the majority of the pan for my Thanksgiving stuffing but I just had to have some fresh out of the oven, piping-hot with butter melting all over it.
In the future, I plan to make this with some additions- bacon grease and pork crackings (fried bits of the skin of a pig, not the ones you get from the snack section of the grocery). Ok, maybe not both in the same pan. But at least one is required. Perfect served with soup beans and some onion. A glimpse of home in a bite.
Simple Cornbread
- 1 cup white flour
- 1 cup yellow corn meal
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (substitute bacon grease if desired)
- Cracklings (if desired)
Heat the oil or bacon grease in a 9” cast iron frying pan. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. In another bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients making sure to beat the eggs well. Add the wet to the dry and mix to a smooth batter. Pour into the cast iron pan and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. A toothpick should pass through cleanly.
AnnaShortcakes 
Oh great ideas. This is our base for stuffing so it’s simple because we’re going to add a lot, but it’s also good in soup. Love the way yours turned out.