Do you make cornbread?

Keltin

New member
Gold Site Supporter
Ok, so I met DW years ago and she loved cornbread, but she told me when we met that it always stuck when she tried it.

I didn’t elaborate on the “secrets” at first, but instead made cornbread for her. The “finishing" move I did was the “shake” when it comes out of the oven and you shake the CI to loosen the Cornbread before flipping onto a plate.

The secret, at least for me, is to use a good and well seasoned CI skillet. Pre-Heat it in the oven with 2 tbsp of oil. As it is pre-heating, make your batter. Once the CI is HOT, the oil should be near smoking. Now pour your batter into the hot CI and place it back in the oven. Bake according to the recipe.

Once the proper time has elapsed, pull your CI out by the handle. Now this is the cool part. If your CI is well seasoned, and you had just enough oil in the hot pan when you added the batter, you can do the “shake trick”.

Grasping the handle firmly, give the pan a good shake, and the cornbread will break free and slide loosely about the pan. It’s now time to tip it onto a platter. Cover the skillet with a plate and invert. Let cool then slice and serve.

When I learned this technique many years ago, I was very proud to be able to do it. Cornbread can be a challenge. Getting the “shake” right is just impressive. It really feels good to pull the cornbread out and do the shake and see that wonderful creation break loose and slide loosely as it awaits it’s tipping onto the plate. I just love it.

And I’ve taught it to DW.

Tonight, in front of the neighbors that were over to chat about DVDs and such (we trade DVDs with them all the time), she had to pull her cornbread out as the cooking timer had expired and rang. She excused herself, but I insisted we watch. We followed her, and she felt a bit pressured, but with confidence, she turned to us all and did the most beautiful and perfect “shake”. The cornbread broke free, slid perfectly. She actually gave it 2 extra shakes right in front of me to show, YES, that is how it works! :thumb:

She then tipped it onto a plate. I was so proud!!! The neighbors were amazed and remarked that theirs always sticks!!! HAH!!!! :biggrin:

I’m proud! I’m also feeling a bit useless now! She has now mastered one of my big secrets! :lol: :yum:

Alrighty then…….time to get her to smoke a rack of ribs!

Ok……I’ll admit this. I love doing this, but DANG, MAMA, how do you get yours so big? We only cook for two so we pare everything down, but your cornbread is so much higher! We use self-rising cornmeal……what other secrets are there? Here’s what we do:

2 cups meal
1 1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup oil (vegetable oil)
1 egg, well beaten

Now, it’s time for DW’s pics!

After the flip, bottom side up.
Step1-26.jpg


Top side up.
Step2-21.jpg


Cut a slice and add butter (later we will add honey for desert, but this was a dinner piece! :lol:).
Step3-16.jpg
 

Sass Muffin

Coffee Queen ☕
Gold Site Supporter
One thing my Grams always did Keltin was cook EVERYTHING in a cast iron skillet.
(She told me about seasoning it first).
She did the same with her cornbread as well.
She also had this saying that "good cooks never use lids" whatever that was supposed to mean.
Going off topic a bit here, but the woman never made her buttermilk dipped fried chicken on a Sunday with a lid on the skillet.
She was a southern Indiana woman who could blow the walls off anyone when it came to good simple down home cooking.

Have I ever made cornbread? yes.. but it always comes from a box:unsure:
I need to get with the program and make it from scratch to have with bean soup or how I normally enjoy it.. broken up and sprinkled over a plate of baked beans.
 

homecook

New member
The few times I've made it I used bacon grease in my pan. My son-in-law taught me that. I also use my CI pan.
 

Derek

Banned
I would make cornbread, but I'm still a little Leary of trying it again fearing it's going to taste as bad as I remember it.
 

Sass Muffin

Coffee Queen ☕
Gold Site Supporter
The few times I've made it I used bacon grease in my pan. My son-in-law taught me that. I also use my CI pan.

Geez Louise!!
Another memory from Grams.. the ever present cannister of saved bacon grease on the back of her stove.:wub:
 

Mama

Queen of Cornbread
Site Supporter
What brand of self-rising cornmeal do you use? Here's what I use:

corn-meal-2.jpg


I then use regular milk instead of buttermilk and 2 eggs instead of one. That's the only difference I see.
 

Sass Muffin

Coffee Queen ☕
Gold Site Supporter
I would make cornbread, but I'm still a little Leary of trying it again fearing it's going to taste as bad as I remember it.
Did the ex ole lady make it before and disappoint you?:yum:

Sorry Derek, I have a memory like a steel trap. LOL
 

Keltin

New member
Gold Site Supporter
Your Grams sounds amazing! Cornbread isn’t so hard to mix up from scratch, it’s the cooking part that gets tricky….but you now the CI secret already, so go for it! I understand your Grams point on the lid! My grandmother was the same for many things. She always said, “We aren’t steaming this, we’re frying”.

Amazing that it took me nearly 25 years to fully understand that.

Oh, and hate me if you want, but we do use box stuff! DW loves Jiffy mix. She puts them in some really cute star shaped cupcake type containers that is just really cool. It’s sweet cornbread……yeah……I know……….but it’s fun to eat.
 

Keltin

New member
Gold Site Supporter
What brand of self-rising cornmeal do you use? Here's what I use:

corn-meal-2.jpg


I then use regular milk instead of buttermilk and 2 eggs instead of one. That's the only difference I see.


We’re not really brand loyal on the meal, but what we have been using lately is Martha White.

So all the other measurements look the same then?? Ok, I’ll try WhiteLily and double the egg! Thanks!
 

Mama

Queen of Cornbread
Site Supporter
Your Grams sounds amazing! Cornbread isn’t so hard to mix up from scratch, it’s the cooking part that gets tricky….but you now the CI secret already, so go for it! I understand your Grams point on the lid! My grandmother was the same for many things. She always said, “We aren’t steaming this, we’re frying”.

Amazing that it took me nearly 25 years to fully understand that.

Oh, and hate me if you want, but we do use box stuff! DW loves Jiffy mix. She puts them in some really cute star shaped cupcake type containers that is just really cool. It’s sweet cornbread……yeah……I know……….but it’s fun to eat.

:ohmy::ohmy::ohmy::ohmy:
 

Sass Muffin

Coffee Queen ☕
Gold Site Supporter
Your Grams sounds amazing! Cornbread isn’t so hard to mix up from scratch, it’s the cooking part that gets tricky….but you now the CI secret already, so go for it! I understand your Grams point on the lid! My grandmother was the same for many things. She always said, “We aren’t steaming this, we’re frying”.

Amazing that it took me nearly 25 years to fully understand that.

Oh, and hate me if you want, but we do use box stuff! DW loves Jiffy mix. She puts them in some really cute star shaped cupcake type containers that is just really cool. It’s sweet cornbread……yeah……I know……….but it’s fun to eat.

I figured you'd understand a southern Grandma's ways when it comes to the kitchen.
I KNOW Mama does. ;)
Jiffy.. how'd you know?? lol
 

Mama

Queen of Cornbread
Site Supporter
We’re not really brand loyal on the meal, but what we have been using lately is Martha White.

So all the other measurements look the same then?? Ok, I’ll try WhiteLily and double the egg! Thanks!

There is a difference in brands. Same with flour...I only use White Lily for that too. It may be the second egg that makes it rise more...or it may be the difference in brands.
 

Keltin

New member
Gold Site Supporter
There is a difference in brands. Same with flour...I only use White Lily for that too. It may be the second egg that makes it rise more...or it may be the difference in brands.

Possibly more baking powder in the mix???
 

Derek

Banned
Did the ex ole lady make it before and disappoint you?:yum:

Sorry Derek, I have a memory like a steel trap. LOL
No problem, No my step dad made it a long time ago and it was dry as heck, It was so dry I had cotton mouth for a month, LOL.

Seriously all the time I had cornbread it was always dry and tasteless, so I'm scared I'm not going to like it if I make it.
 

Fisher's Mom

Mother Superior
Super Site Supporter
Seriously all the time I had cornbread it was always dry and tasteless, so I'm scared I'm not going to like it if I make it.
Don't be scared, Derek. Try the cornbread again - it's the right thing to do and you'll feel better about yourself afterward.:wink:
 

Derek

Banned
That'll make it kinda like cracklin' cornbread Derek.
Now your speaking my langage Mama, I love crackling, I swear I'm a southerner although I'm in Mi, It must be the food I eat I guess?

There you go - bacon is always a welcome addition! Oh, and if you like milk, I love an icy cold glass of milk with my cornbread.
Oh yeah, As Paula deen says bacon is good. By the way love milk....
 

Adillo303

*****
Gold Site Supporter
I learned a lot here. Almost all the cornbread I have made has been from scratch. I am on a train at the moment and do not have my recipes. I have always used a glass round pan buttered and floured. Sticking has never been a problem. I do lbow that a well seasoned CI pan has the magical ability to improve whatever it is used for. Mine will be on the job next batch. I keep Hots course and fine meal around all the time.


Somewhere off topic, but if we were to ever rename the site, I would suggest "Bacon and other foods".

Andy
 

chowhound

New member
I use regular milk and two eggs as well. I never developed a taste for buttermilk, so never have any on hand. I think the mix is Aunt Jemima ? The store only had one kind when I bought it.

And I heat my skillet on the stove over high heat, get the oil smoking, dump some of it in the batter and stir it in, let it sit while I rinse the mixing bowl, then put the skillet in the oven. It never sticks. It comes out more yellow looking than Mama's, closer to Keltin's. I mix the batter somewhat runnier than a normal batter or it comes out dry. Like a pancake batter.
 
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