I am missing Southern corn bread something awful today...

[CTyankee]

I love New England but sweet cornbread sucks...

Who has a really good authentic Southern recipe?

[Major Nikon]

1. My recipe is pretty simple

I do use a little sugar to help with browning, but not so much that you taste it. I don't like sweet cornbread.

1 cup A/P flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 Tbs sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp shortening

Preheat oven to 425F with a 9" cast iron skillet inside.

Combine all the dry ingredients in one bowl. Beat the eggs until just combined and mix in all the wet ingredients except for the shortening.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined and still a bit lumpy.
Take the skillet out of the oven and put the shortening in the skillet. When the shortening melts, swirl it around the skillet to coat the bottom and sides.
Pour the mixture into the skillet and bake for 20-25 minutes

Some people like to add a small can of creamed corn to the recipe. I like to add a bit of pickled and sliced jalapenos chopped up a bit.

[JayhawkSD]

2. Hmmm, don't know why sugar is needed for browning.

My grandmother, who grew up on a plantation in Milliken's Bend, LA and had her own carriage horse named Blackberry, taught me how to make cornbread. She would get out of her grave and come whack me with a wooden spoon if I ever put sugar in it.

Football season is coming. Geaux Tigers.

Southern Corn Bread

¾ cup flour
1-1/2 cup corn meal
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk, or maybe just a little bit more
2 eggs
4 tbsp oil (Canola, Peanut…)

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl, eggs, milk and oil in another. Combine, blend well.

Bake in cast iron skillet, uncovered, at 425 for 20-25 minutes until it is nicely browned and is starting to pull away from the sides.

[CTyankee]

3. I had to give up my cast iron skillet years ago...too heavy and cleaning and then oiling it again...

well...Will it be ruined if baked in a regular baking pan?

[dem in texas]

7. yes, I have baked in muffin pans.

The secret is getting the pan hot before pouring in the cornbread batter. That's what gives the cornbread the nice crisp crust on the bottom. I have a set of muffin tins that I have used many times for cornbread. I usually get them hot in the oven and spray them with Pam right I pour the batter in. I like to hear a little sizzle sound when the batter hits the pan, that tells me my pans are good and hot. When I use Pam, I don't bother to put in oil or shortening in the batter, it makes for a crisper cornbread to leave it out and less fat is always a good thing. You could probably use a heavy ceramic dish, too. I use dark metal pans, not the light colored aluminum ones.

[JayhawkSD]

10. Probably be fine.

But I would find the heavies guage I could, and definitely use the dark colored ones.

[Major Nikon]

6. The Maillard reaction requires one or more reducing sugars

Flour and milk already contain such sugars, so supplementing the recipe with additional refined sugar isn't necessary, but often is added to increase the effect.

[dem in texas]

4. No Sugar Please

Here is my favorite recipe for cornbread. It calls for buttermilk which give the cornbread a nice crust and a pleasing tangy taste. If you don't have buttermilk, use regular milk, omitting the baking soda and increasing the baking powder to 1 teaspoon.

Buttermilk Cornbread

Take small cast iron skillet and place two tablespoons oil or shortening in skillet. Place skillet in hot oven, 450˚ while mixing the cornbread.

1-cup cornmeal ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup flour 1 egg
½ teaspoon salt 1 cup buttermilk
¼ teaspoon baking soda

Mix dry ingredients well, add buttermilk and egg, mixing well. Remove skillet from oven; pour excess oil into batter, mixing well. Pour batter into hot skillet and bake 10-15 minutes until brown on top.

[CTyankee]

5. I recall my coworker who was from Tennessee putting bacon drippings in her cornbread. It was divine.

[JayhawkSD]

9. Yes indeed.

I sometimes make my recipe using all or part bacon drippings instead of oil. It is awesome.
I can, however, feel my arteries clogging just thinking about it.

[northoftheborder]

8. This ^ is my favorite: buttermilk, with butter or bacon drippings