Buttery Cornbread

I’ve wanted to share this recipe for cornbread since August. I’ve already been in talks with my sister about making it as a side for this year’s American inspired Christmas dinner (this cornbread is the sole reason why Christmas will be American this year).  Also, sorry for mentioning Christmas. 

Buuutttt, I am glad we’re finally in the season of comfort food. This thick and buttery cornbread can be served savoury or sweet. My first batch was served with spicy jerk chicken and citrusy avocado salsa. My second batch had less sugar, so I chose to drizzle the bread with acacia honey and dried corn flowers from this little spice shop in London’s Borough Market. Adding corn flowers to a cornbread is possibly the corniest thing I’ve ever done. 

The sweetcorn season may have just ended, but as the kernels are fried in a pool of butter, using the frozen variety is just as good. To be fair, I only used fresh because they were on offer in the supermarket – who would pass up 4 husks for a pound?! 

Buttery Cornbread

Ingredients 

• 200g unsalted butter
• 450g fresh or frozen sweetcorn 
• 80g double cream 
• 100g milk
• 2 eggs 
• 45g brown sugar 
• 200g plain flour 
• 130g fine cornmeal/polenta
• 1 tsp sea salt 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda 

Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 190°C/ fan 170°/gas 5 and butter and flour a 23cm round cake tin or 1lb loaf tin. Melt the butter in a large shallow saucepan on medium heat, once melted add half the corn. Leave to sizzle in the butter until the corn has browned slightly and the butter has only just scorched the bottom of the pan. Spoon the corn into a food processor, then add the rest of the corn into the saucepan until scorched and slightly browned. Scrape the entire pan into a food processor and blitz until it looks grainy but has a creamy texture. Add the milk and cream and blitz until the batter is loose and the food processor feels cooler. Add the eggs and blitz, then the sugar. Transfer the corn batter to a large bowl, add the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder and soda and fold through using a wooden spoon. The batter will be thick, give it a good beating just until there are no white streaks of flour left. Plop the batter into the tin and smooth the top with the back of a metal spoon. Bake for 35/40 minutes, the cornbread is cooked when the surface has a slight sheen and is smooth to the touch and a skewer inserted shows a moist (but not wet) crumb. 

Love Em xx

Almond, Polenta and Lemon Cake

This cake has such a texture infused flavour. The slight lemon tang gives it a moreish quality and, although the cake will naturally sink in the middle (the inevitable when it comes to flour-less treats) there is still something picture-perfect about this cake - I think its the dense crumb! Adapted from Nigella's Lemon Polenta Cake, my version has less lemon and more sweetness. Reason being is that I think it's important to notice the almond and polenta, which is difficult with the overpowering tang an added lemon brings with it.

The Recipe: 
Zest of 1 lemon
200g ground almonds
100g cornmeal/polenta
200g caster sugar
3 eggs
200g unsalted softened butter
1 and a half tsp baking powder
The Syrup
1 cup sugar
2 cups water

The Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line an 8 inch tin.
• Cream the butter and sugar together in a freestanding mixer until light and fluffy - 3-5 minutes. 
• In a separate bowl mix in the all of the dry ingredients.
• Alternately add the eggs with the dry mixture, into the creamed butter. Preferably thirds at a time. 
• Mix until well incorporated. The mixture should resemble a normal cake butter but a bit thicker. 
• Plop into the tin and spread around evenly.
• Bake for 45 minutes. Do not threat, the cake will naturally sink in the middle!
• Boil the sugar and water together and let cool.
• When the cake is out of the oven, pour the syrup (as much as desired) into the cake while its still hot and then leave the cake to cool completely before taking it out of the tin.
• Serve with tea!

Cornbread Muffins

A delicious cornbread muffin recipe that will knock your socks off! There is extra cornmeal in this recipe to give the muffins a slightly grainy texture, which works very well! This is an original recipe; there are no bits of corn or cheese, just plain grainy goodness so that you can capture that real corn taste. Cornbread muffins are a southern American favourite, I hope you enjoy my very own British take on them!

The Recipe:

200ml semi skimmed milk

420ml corn oil 

420g plain flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

250g cornmeal/Polenta*

100g golden caster sugar 

2 tbsp Greek yoghurt (optional)

*Cornmeal, and other packaged items that you can find in the oriental aisles in the supermarket are usually very expensive. You can always find them at over half the price in local off licenses.

The Method:

• Preheat the oven to 160 degrees and line a muffin tray with cases. 
• In a mixer, add the sugar and oil and mix for 2 minutes then add the eggs one at a times and then pour in your milk till you get a runny consistency.
• Add in baking powder & salt and then the cornmeal till you get a thick-ish consistency. 
• Now add the flour and then some Greek yoghurt to break up the batter. 
• Plop batter into each muffin case until they are all jjust over two thirds full.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• Eat warm!

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Mbakes x