Last weekend we made this recipe for corn bread and the accompanying butter spread to go with stew. The corn bread recipe itself seemed a little pedestrian so we kicked it up a notch and made more of a Mexican corn bread by adding real corn kernels and diced jalapeno peppers. I’d give the bread 3 of 5 stars.
The butter, on the other hand, was a great touch. The reviews on cooking light are correct that the molasses-bourbon combo can be a bit overpowering, but using a little less than what’s called for and giving it a day or so to gel together made a big difference. 4 out of 5 for the spread.
2/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 ounces)
1 1/3 cups yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups fat-free buttermilk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
5 tablespoons butter, softened and divided
2 teaspoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon bourbon
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
Preheat oven to 425°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add buttermilk and egg; stir just until combined.
Place an 8-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven for 5 minutes, and remove from oven. Add 2 1/2 tablespoons butter to pan; swirl to melt and lightly grease pan. Stir melted butter into batter. Add batter to preheated pan. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan. Slice into 8 wedges.
Combine remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons butter, molasses, bourbon, and rind in a small bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until combined (about 1 minute). Serve butter with warm corn bread.
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 corn bread wedge and about 1 teaspoon butter)
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NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 231(30% from fat); FAT 7.8g (sat 4.7g,mono 2.1g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 5.4g; CHOLESTEROL 46mg; CALCIUM 118mg; SODIUM 349mg; FIBER 1g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 33.5g