My Mama Faye's Cast Iron Skillet Corn Bread
A cast-iron skillet gives cornbread a crunchy crust. This is a great recipe and tastes better, I find, when cooked in a cast iron skillet and served hot table side. One can also served this recipe for breakfast (if sugar is added), brunch, lunch and dinner. Whether with molasses, which was our desert back home with Mama Faye and Pappy, jam and butter or with cornbread and pinto beans, fried chicken, there are rarely leftovers!
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Total Time:
Ingredients:
| 1 1/4 cups | coarsely ground cornmeal |
| 3/4 cup | all-purpose flour |
| 1/4 cup | sugar (Optional) NOTE: use sugar "ONLY" if you want a sweet tasting (cake like) cornbread. |
| 1 teaspoon | salt |
| 2 teaspoons | baking powder |
| 1/2 teaspoon | baking soda |
| 1/3 cup | whole milk |
| 1 cup | buttermilk |
| 2 | eggs, lightly beaten |
| 8 tablespoons | unsalted butter, melted |
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and place a 9-inch cast iron skillet inside to heat while you make the batter. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk in the milk, buttermilk, and eggs. Whisk in almost all of the melted butter, reserving about 1 tablespoon for the skillet later on. Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Coat the bottom and sides of the hot skillet with the remaining butter. Pour the batter into the skillet and place it in the center of the oven. Bake until the center is firm and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes and serve.