Nate's Jalapeno Cornbread

[drum warrior]

I'm new to the forum so thought I'd contribute my Cornbread recipe.  I titled this Jalapeno cornbread but by all means it doesn't have to be jalapeno.  You can make it straight or with other additions such as a handful of corn or bacon, whatever suits your fancy.  I enjoy experimenting with things like that and using this recipe as the base.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

You're going to make a dry mixture and a wet mixture

1) Mix dry ingredients together

1 cup flour

1 cup corn meal

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 dash (about 1/2 tsp) chile powder (recommend chipotle)

sift this all together into your mixing bowl and set aside.

2) Mix wet ingredients together

2 eggs beaten

1 cup buttermilk (can also use plain milk or creme but I like buttermilk the best)

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup honey

3) Once oven is preheated to 400 degrees, then add the wet ingredients to the dry in the mixing bowl.  You don't want to do this before the oven is ready.  The baking powder starts to react right away so you want to get it in the preheated oven.  Don't let it sit around.  Mix with a fork.  Don't overdo it.  Then put it in the oven.  If you're adding jalapeno or other ingredients, do so last once everything is mixed and give a final few stirs with the fork.  My way of adding jalapeno is to chop one whole jalapeno with seeds and stem removed.  If you like spicier use 2 jalapenos.  *important - if using all buttermilk in step 2 then add just a splash of regular milk here to thin the batter just slightly.  

4) Pour mix into greased pan of choice.  Grease with butter, non stick spray, whatever you like.  Use whatever baking vessel suits your fancy, cast iron, 9x9 pyrex, whatever you like.  Myself, I like the 9x9 glass pyrex.  The cornbread comes out a little more moist with the glass baking pan.  Experiment and see what you like.

Bake for 25 minutes and check it with a toothpick in the middle.  When the toothpick comes out without any clumps of batter on it, pull it out.  The trick is getting it baked right to that point to have a moist and done cornbread.  Usually 25-30 min at my elevation in the Seattle area.  The toothpick will have a sheen to it when you pull it out but it shouldn't have any uncooked yellow batter sticking to it. 

Let cool for a few minutes and then brush a glaze of honey on top if you like.  Some things to try/experiment with on this recipe are the additives such as corn, jalapeno, bacon, etc.  Also the types of milk, buttermilk, heavy creme, half n half, regular milk.  You can experiment with the ratio of honey to sugar.  I've done all honey, all sugar.  I like the half and half but see what you like.  

* extra tip -- if you have leftover cornbread, a tasty snack is to slice it into pieces about 1" thick, spread butter on each side and grill in a cast iron pan.  Grill until golden brown on each side.  These corn bread bites are so evil.  Your leftover cornbread will be gone in a flash!

Hope you enjoy this.  Any other good corn bread tips out there?  

corn bread.jpg

• drum warrior
• Aug 24, 2017

 

[b-one]

I'll have to try this,thanks for sharing!

 

[chilerelleno]

Thanks Nate,
sounds like a pretty sweet recipe... I pun therefore I am.
Will have to give this a try, never used honey in my cornbread.

I like almost any type of chile in cornbread, Jalapenos and Greens are the standard, but sometimes use Serranos for extra heat.

I do have a suggestion for this and almost any standard cornbread recipe.
Use cast iron, and preheat the cast iron in the oven to cooking temp before adding the batter.
Believe me when I say, "Your mouth will thank you!"

 

[drum warrior]

Thanks Nate,
sounds like a pretty sweet recipe... I pun therefore I am.
Will have to give this a try, never used honey in my cornbread.

I like almost any type of chile in cornbread, Jalapenos and Greens are the standard, but sometimes use Serranos for extra heat.

I do have a suggestion for this and almost any standard cornbread recipe.
Use cast iron, and preheat the cast iron in the oven to cooking temp before adding the batter.
Believe me when I say, "Your mouth will thank you!"

I will have to try that with the cast iron.  Thanks for the tip!  I am also a big fan of cooking on cast iron.  When I seer things, burgers, steaks, etc, I typically do so on a cast iron pan or skillet.  

 

[GaryHibbert]

That cornbread looks real good.  I really like the idea of frying up the leftovers like you did.  Thanks for the post.

Gary

 

[bluewhisper]

Thanks for posting this! My usual cornbread recipe and method is very close to yours. Mine has that much sugar but not the honey so it isn't very sweet.  I have to keep it mild because I'm the only chilehead in the house but left to my own I would add the jalapeno. I usually use a 6-cup nonstick muffin tin, so to fit that I use a total of 1.5 cups of flour/cornmeal, usually in a 50/50 ratio like yours. But there's room to play - I use three 1/2 cup measures so it could be 2/3 flour, or 2/3 cornmeal.

When I do add something as you add jalapeno (could be blueberries for example) I mix it into the dry half. And as you say, once the wet meets the dry, the clock is ticking so the oven and the pan need to be ready. I use a rubber spatula so I can scrape the bowl.

BTW it is possible to use milk that has slightly soured and the recipe still works with no ill effect.

One other thing, once the pan goes into the oven you have enough time to wash all of the prep equipment so it's all clean and drying by the time the bread comes out.

Now you're making me want to go soak some pinto beans.

 

[SmokinAl]

Looks like a great recipe!

Thanks!

Al

 

[drum warrior]

 
Thanks for posting this! My usual cornbread recipe and method is very close to yours. Mine has that much sugar but not the honey so it isn't very sweet.  I have to keep it mild because I'm the only chilehead in the house but left to my own I would add the jalapeno. I usually use a 6-cup nonstick muffin tin, so to fit that I use a total of 1.5 cups of flour/cornmeal, usually in a 50/50 ratio like yours. But there's room to play - I use three 1/2 cup measures so it could be 2/3 flour, or 2/3 cornmeal.

When I do add something as you add jalapeno (could be blueberries for example) I mix it into the dry half. And as you say, once the wet meets the dry, the clock is ticking so the oven and the pan need to be ready. I use a rubber spatula so I can scrape the bowl.

BTW it is possible to use milk that has slightly soured and the recipe still works with no ill effect.

One other thing, once the pan goes into the oven you have enough time to wash all of the prep equipment so it's all clean and drying by the time the bread comes out.

Now you're making me want to go soak some pinto beans.

OK now you've got me wanting to try putting blackberries in mine.  The blackberries are ripe all over my neighborhood here in Washington state.  I've been noodling on the idea of putting a half cup of them into a cornbread.  I could probably back off on the sugar just a tad when I do this since they are sweet as well.  I bet it turns a cool purple color, too.  Thanks for validating my idea that berries can go well in this.  Smoke on!

 

[tropics]

 

 
Thanks for posting this! My usual cornbread recipe and method is very close to yours. Mine has that much sugar but not the honey so it isn't very sweet.  I have to keep it mild because I'm the only chilehead in the house but left to my own I would add the jalapeno. I usually use a 6-cup nonstick muffin tin, so to fit that I use a total of 1.5 cups of flour/cornmeal, usually in a 50/50 ratio like yours. But there's room to play - I use three 1/2 cup measures so it could be 2/3 flour, or 2/3 cornmeal.

When I do add something as you add jalapeno (could be blueberries for example) I mix it into the dry half. And as you say, once the wet meets the dry, the clock is ticking so the oven and the pan need to be ready. I use a rubber spatula so I can scrape the bowl.

BTW it is possible to use milk that has slightly soured and the recipe still works with no ill effect.

One other thing, once the pan goes into the oven you have enough time to wash all of the prep equipment so it's all clean and drying by the time the bread comes out.

Now you're making me want to go soak some pinto beans.

OK now you've got me wanting to try putting blackberries in mine.  The blackberries are ripe all over my neighborhood here in Washington state.  I've been noodling on the idea of putting a half cup of them into a cornbread.  I could probably back off on the sugar just a tad when I do this since they are sweet as well.  I bet it turns a cool purple color, too.  Thanks for validating my idea that berries can go well in this.  Smoke on!

Great Recipe Thank You I make mine with yes Jiffy LOL 

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/247274/corn-bread-in-the-ci

I think yours in the CI would be fantastic 

Richie

 

[bluewhisper]

One thing about berries, be careful about adding too many because the bread  breaks apart to the point where you can't handle it without a fork. Which could still be fun if you're planning for it. Maybe make a really crumbly batch, freeze it, then slice it and serve it under ice cream?

 

[drum warrior]

I have some pictures of the blackberry cornbread. How does one post a picture in a reply?

 

[tropics]

I have some pictures of the blackberry cornbread. How does one post a picture in a reply?

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/125263/how-to-upload-a-photo-q-view-to-your-post

 

[drum warrior]

Here is a shot of the blackberry cornbread.  Definitely going to make this again as a seasonal item when the berries are ripe.  It was a big hit with the family and made for a tasty snack later in the evening too.  (Tropics thanks for the help with the picture upload.  I couldn't get chrome browser to render the menu bar with the upload button but found Internet Explorer works.) 

blackberry cornbread.jpg

• drum warrior
• Aug 27, 2017

 

[ab canuck]

Wow, I am looking for a good Cornbread recipe to try from scratch, You just don't find that up here, Thx. for posting this. I am going to try this in the next week with a meal I am making.

 

[maineac]

I'll be trying it too. Thanks for sharing.

 

[tx smoker]

I know this is old but wanted to take a minute and say thanks for posting this. I have a pot of amazing chili going right now and decided to make cornbread from scratch. Found this recipe and stopped looking. It's going on the dinner table this evening with the chili.

Robert