Pumpkin Cornbread

     My parents traveled to Washington D.C. a few weeks ago.  During this trip they visited George Washington's Mount Vernon.  My mother brought back a bag of cornmeal and a tiny cookbook entitled "Cooking with Cornmeal."  While skimming through this tiny cookbook, I came across Pumpkin cornbread.  I immediately knew I had to make this.  Fall is slowly making its way to Alabama.  Although I hate it when the weather turns cold, I do love a few things about fall: pumpkin, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and chili.  I actually baked this Pumpkin cornbread the same week I made Gluten-Free Whole Grain Pumpkin Muffins – my fall pumpkin love affair has officially begun.   I served this cornbread with big bowls of thick, hearty black beans.   I guess you could say that it was the perfect Halloween supper – black beans with orange tinted cornbread.

 

Recipe adapted from Cooking with Cornmeal

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups cornmeal
• ½ gluten-free whole grain flour blend
  
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon soda
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup canned pumpkin
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 tablespoons honey
• ¾ cup olive oil mayonnaise
• ¾ cup almond milk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and make a well in the center of the bowl. In a large glass measuring cup whisk together the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

The Old Mill Cornbread Muffins

I've made cornbread and cornbread muffins before, but have never been truly satisfied with the end result. After many years of testing I have finally found the perfect recipe. The secret behind a good cornbread is the cornmeal. The cornmeal used in this recipe comes from The Old Mill in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. I picked up a bag of cornmeal (a bag of grits, a bear of honey, and a new cookbook) while J.T. and I visited the Old Mill. This cornmeal makes the muffins crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, with small bits of hearty corn running through every bite. They are delicious and worth a few extra dollars for the cornmeal. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups Old Mill cornmeal
  
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar, honey, or molasses
  
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
  
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
  
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing
  

 
Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease a 12 cup muffin tin with olive oil.
   
2. In a medium bowl combine the cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and sugar (if using honey or molasses mix in with the wet ingredients).  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. In a small bowl whisk together the milk, egg, and olive oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. The batter should still be very lumpy. Spoon into prepared muffin tins. Bake for 28 minutes (No peaking in the oven! If you do peak, increase the baking time to 30 minutes.) Yields 12 muffins.

Rhode Island Johnny Cakes

 

Recipe adapted from Julia Child: The Way to Cook

Ingredients

• 1 cup cornmeal
  
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1 cup boiling water
  
• 3 to 4 tablespoons almond milk, milk, or cream
  
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
  

Directions

1. In a medium bowl combine cornmeal and salt. Stir in the boiling water. Whisk in the almond milk and maple syrup.
   
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, drop the batter by ¼ cup ladles into the skillet. You can either make 6 larger cakes or 8 smaller cakes. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes a side, or until golden brown. Serves 3 or 4.

Okra Cornmeal Cakes

 

Recipe adapted from Basic to Brilliant, Y'all

  

Ingredients

• 2 cups cornmeal
  
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1 large egg
  
• 2 cups water
  
• 8 ounces okra, sliced ¼ inch thick
  
• 1 jalapeno, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
  
• 1 clove garlic, mashed into a paste
  
• 4 tablespoons canola oil, for frying
  

Directions

1. In a large bowl whisk together the cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a liquid measuring cup whisk together the water and egg. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Stir in the okra, jalapeno, and garlic. The mixture should be wet – add more water if needed.
   
2. Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, drop batter by ¼ cup ladles into the skillet. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Sprinkle with kosher salt and serve. Yields 12 (3 – inch) cakes.

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

Recipe courtesy of Barefoot Contessa At Home

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 cup cornmeal
  
• ¼ cup sugar
  
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
  
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  
• 2 cups milk
  
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  
• 2 sticks butter, melted
  
• 8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, grated, divided
  
• 1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish
  
• 3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers (2 to 3 peppers)
  

Directions

1. In a large bowl combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a smaller bowl whisk together milk, eggs, and butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Add 2 cups of cheese, scallions, and jalapeno peppers. Mix until just combined – the batter should be lumpy. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
   
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread into all corners. Sprinkle the top with remaining cheese and additional scallions. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool before cutting. Yields 12 large squares.

Cornmeal Griddle Cakes

Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit, Y'all

Ingredients

• 2 cups self-rising cornmeal
  
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1 teaspoon sugar
  
• 1 ½ cups almond milk
  
• 1 egg
  
• ¼ to ½ cup canola oil, for frying
  

Directions

1. In a large bowl mix together the cornmeal, baking powder, kosher salt, and sugar. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the almond milk and egg. Pour the wet ingredients into the well of the dry ingredients. Mix until just moistened, using the fewest amount of strokes possible.
   
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, ladle the batter into the skillet, ensuring not to crowd the cakes (If using a 12-inch skillet, you should get 4 to 5 cakes per batch). Cook each cake 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Add more oil to the pan and repeat the process. Yields 12 to 13 griddle cakes.