Breads – Heidi's Hotplate

My Best Cornbread

I’ve tried dozens of cornbread recipes – savory, spicy, some with actual corn or creamed corn, in cast iron – but this is the one I always come back to. It’s the perfect blend of earthy cornmeal, with a hint of sweetness.

This is the recipe that I make every time I make soup, or stew, a pot of beans or chili. It can be made in muffin tins (makes 12), but preparing it in a square baking dish is easy, excellent and foolproof. It is also the cornbread I make as the basis of cornbread dressing. (And there is a big difference between from-scratch cornbread and the box mix.) It is adapted from a Pillsbury cookbook from the early 1980s.

Welcome to my kitchen!

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spray an 8 x 8 inch or 9 x 9 inch square pan with cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, combine:

1 cup flour

1 cup cornmeal

2 Tablespoons sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

To that mixture, add:

1 cup milk

1/4 cup canola oil

1 egg, slightly beaten

Mix by hand until just combined. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

Banana Cranberry Muffins

These bright and cheery muffins are perfect any time of year. Not too sweet, these are full of natural banana sweetness with the tang of fresh, whole cranberries.

The berries add a pop of red at the holidays or Valentine’s Day. Buy a few bags of fresh cranberries now while they are available, and simply pop in your freezer for a lively breakfast treat. They will thaw quickly and bring a reminder of fall.

This recipe is loosely adapted from a 1980s-era Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. Usually, I use chocolate chips instead of cranberries, but I had the cranberries in the freezer, and voila! A new family favorite that’s as easy as can be.

Welcome to my table!

Preheat oven to 400, and spray a 12-cup nonstick muffin pan with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together:

1 3/4 cups flour

1/3 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Add:

1 beaten egg

1/2 cup milk (whole, 2% or skim)

1/4 cup cooking oil (I use canola)

2 ripe, mashed bananas

Stir until just combined, add:

1 cup whole fresh cranberries, quartered (Substitute 1 cup fresh whole blueberries, or 1/2 cup chocolate chips, pecans, walnuts or dried cherries. Customize as you would like, but reduce sugar by 2 Tablespoons if not using fresh cranberries.) I have made these with chocolate chips more times than I can count.

Spoon batter into muffin tins, and bake for 20 minutes.

Tip: When removing muffins from the oven, immediately tip the individual muffins in their tins to cool in the pan so that the bottoms are not touching the pan. This keeps them from becoming soggy, and keeps them warm.

For Buttermilk Muffins (which makes for a denser muffin) of any variety:

Substitute 1/2 cup buttermilk for the milk

Reduce baking powder to 1 teaspoon

Add 1 teaspoon baking soda

Make recipe as directed above.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Pumpkin season seeems to start earlier than ever, and the aromatic spices — cinnamon and cloves and nutmeg — smell like the holidays themselves. I suppose some might say the season ends as the new year begins, but don’t let that stop you from making the best pumpkin muffin recipe I have ever made — and there are a lot of them!

This one is adapted from a Gourmet recipe from November 2008. These big beautiful gems are perfect for breakfast or brunch or (if you substitute nuts for the chocolate chips) a lovely, dense accompaniment for a bowl of savory soup.

Welcome to my table!

Preheat oven to 400, and spray a nonstick muffin tin (12 muffins) with cooking spray.

Melt:

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter (set aside to cool)

Whisk together:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a separate bowl, whisk together:

Melted butter

3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

3/4 cup canned pumpkin (This is about half a can. Do not use pumpkin pie filling.)

1/4 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add this mixture to dry ingredients, and stir until just combined.

Stir in:

1/3 cup chocolate chips (You can substitute any number of additions: pecans, walnuts, raisins, dried cranberries. My family loves chocolate chips in anything!)

Divide batter among muffin cups, and bake until wooden toothpick comes out clean, approximately 20 minutes.

Here’s one of my best muffin-baking cooking tips:

As soon as you take muffins out of the oven, tilt the individual muffins in their tins, so that the bottoms are off the pan. A simple way to cool your muffins in the pan while still keeping them warm. It also keeps them from sticking.