I'm Elyse. Some of my most vivid and cherished memories are around a table with friends and family, and I want that for you, too.
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When was the last time you thought about cornbread as a lover? (What? Never?… Let’s change that.) Some cornbread recipes are reminiscent of an ultra-passionate, one-night stand. Delicious, but you are never going to see them again. It requires tons of ingredients, creates a mound of dirty dishes, and while tasty—you lose the recipe somewhere in your catch-all drawer. Next, there are recipes similar to the “set-up”. Your aunt swears “you’ll love them!”, but something just isn’t clicking. It’s that family-favorite recipe that always turns out amazing when a loved one does it, but when you try to replicate it, something’s off. Then, there’s your ride or die—they aren’t going to show up with chocolate and flowers, but they will pick you up at the airport and remember to grab dog food when you’re running low. This cornbread is my ride or die. There aren’t any bells or whistles, but it is fast to throw together and comes out great every time.
A Nontraditional Cornbread
I feel it is important to note that this is not a Southern cornbread recipe. Cornbread in the South is a hotly contested subject, and there’s a great article diving into the origins of that here. There are so many beautiful, tasty, and authentic cornbread recipes available today, and it feels wrong putting ‘my play’ on cornbread out into the world without sharing some more foundational texts. Two of my favorites are: Edna Lewis’ Sour Milk Cornbread from The Gift of Southern Cooking and Sean Brock’s Cast Iron Cornbread.
If you don’t have a castiron skillet and like a sweet cornbread, this is a quick and easy recipe to use. To double up on the sweetness, I made a maple butter that I truly want to be buried with. So. Tasty. But the secret ingredient to this cornbread is cayenne. It brings a touch of heat, making the cornbread feel fresh out of the oven, even if it has been sitting on the table for a few minutes. If you are a wee nervous about it, feel free to leave it out, but I encourage you to give it a try 🙂
This cornbread works great as a side dish to savory foods like chili or chicken, but also—I’ve been eating a slice with maple butter and jam for breakfast for the last week with zero complaints. Another great thing about this recipe is there are no “gadgets”. Some bowls, measuring spoons, a whisk, and boom! You’re done. Enjoy!
A simple, sweet, and slightly spicy cornbread with an added bonus of maple butter.
Ingredients
Scale
For the cornbread:
1 1/4C buttermilk, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
3/4C unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2T honey
1 1/4C all-purpose flour
1/3C granulated sugar
2t baking powder
3/4t baking soda
3/4t kosher salt
1/4t cayenne
1C yellow cornmeal
For the maple butter:
6T softened butter
2T maple syrup
Salt to taste
Instructions
Make the cornbread:
Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking oil. Preheat your oven to 350F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, butter, buttermilk, and honey. Set aside.
Into a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cayenne. Mix together until homogenous. Add the cornmeal and stir together again.
Make a well in the middle of your dry ingredients and dump in your egg mixture. Use a spoon or rubber spatula to gently fold everything together, until your dry ingredients are fully hydrated. Pour the batter into your prepared pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. In my old, tired oven, it takes a full 30. Let the cornbread rest in the pan for about 5 minutes before pulling out and cooling further on a wire rack. Serve with a healthy dollop of maple butter while still warm.
Make the maple butter:
In a small bowl, stir together the butter, maple syrup, and salt. Using either an electric mixer or a fork/whisk and some elbow grease, whisk together until you create a homogenous paste.