Happy New Year, everyone! In a nod to my Southern heritage, I’m whipping up a New Year’s day meal of black-eyed peas, cornbread and greens – the New Year’s Trinity. The tradition of consuming these flavorful legumes dates back to the Civil War when General Sherman’s troops destroyed most of the crops in the south but left the black-eyed peas behind because they were considered a non-vital crop – essentially animal feed.
Cornbread’s role in the New Year’s Trinity is that of GOLD. The hubby’s favorite because he loves gold (seriously, he wanted gold-leaf for Christmas!) and my favorite be
cause IMO, this cornbread adds a much needed sweetness to an otherwise savory meal. And, if you’ve read the About TSC page, you’d know that I have a bit of a sweet-tooth and can’t have a meal without some sweetness in there – it’s all about balance, folks! This cornbread may not be traditional, but it’s so yummy and a great side to my Black-Eyed Peas with Country Ham that I highly recommend you give it a try. And if somehow you have some leftover after dinner, simply warm up a slice, drizzle it with honey and you’ll have a scrumptious late-night treat!
This cornbread recipe was adapted from a recipe from Allrecipes.com that I discovered a few years back. Over the years I’ve made some changes and it’s become a staple in my recipe box. First up, I’m substituting applesauce for the oil. I do this in as many of my baking recipes that call for oil as I can because not only does it lighten things up (texture wise and calorie wise) but it also adds a slight layer of sweetness.
Next, I’ve exchanged some of the AP flour for cake flour because I like the crumb that it gives to the final product. Sometimes cornbread can be really grainy and dense and I like mine lighter and more cake-like and the cake flour helps to achieve this.
Most traditional cornbread recipes call for buttermilk and if you have it, please use it, it’s delicious and adds a great tangy flavor. But, in my kitchen anyway, I rarely have buttermilk and I don’t want to buy a whole thing of it when most of it will be poured down the drain and I can actually just make it on my own with ingredients I do always have on hand – lemons and/or vinegar. My preference is using the fresh squeezed lemon juice, I think it helps to curdle the milk better than the vinegar but the vinegar will work so use what you have. And don’t be afraid of the word “curdle.” I know most people associate that word with milk that’s gone bad but buttermilk is really just curdled milk AND it’s the first step in making ricotta cheese – so seriously, don’t be afraid of it.
Finally, I use a cast-iron skillet. If you don’t have one, get one – seriously. I live in a tiny apartment and have to store mine in the oven because we don’t have space for it anywhere else but I do it because that’s how much you need one. The recipe calls for a 12-inch skillet but I’ve made the bread in my 9-inch one as well – you’ll just have to cook it longer because it will be thicker – so get a size t
hat works best for you. Pre-heating the skillet and then adding a tiny amount of fat before pouring in the batter makes a huge difference to the texture of the cornbread. It comes out with this browned, crunchy crust that adds so much attitude to the final product. Traditionally, in the South, lard or bacon grease is added to the skillet before it goes into the oven so they heat together and if you want to try this please do so – you can never go wrong with bacon grease! I try to use oil sparingly in my cooking (so I can eat more, of course) but if it’s a holiday treat then by all means, treat yourself!
I hope this delicious bread becomes a staple in your home as much as it is in mine! Enjoy!
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20-25 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cake flour [or use all-purpose flour if you don't have any]
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal [or you can use white if you can find it]
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 egg
- 1 cup milk [can use buttermilk]
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar [omit if using buttermilk]
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
Ingredients
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- Mise En Place: Place a 12-inch cast iron skillet in the oven and then preheat to 400 degrees. Add the tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to the milk and set aside to curdle for at least 10 minutes. Get the remaining ingredients together and ready to go.
- Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl combine flours, cornmeal, sugars salt, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk until mixed and there are no lumps from the brown sugar.
- Liquids: Add the egg, milk mixture and applesauce into the dry ingredients, stir until just combined. Don't over-mix! A light hand is always best.
- Bake: Remove the hot skillet from the oven. BE CAREFUL, IT'S HOT! Quickly spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray/oil and pour in the batter. It should be sizzling. Put the skillet back in the oven and bake until golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. A few crumbs are okay because the bread will continue to cook as it cools and you don't want it to dry out.
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