Dear Cornbread Diaries...

I thought I knew everything there was to know about cooking a great skillet of cornbread until I saw Down Home with The Neely's on Food Network the other day. You know Pat and Gina Neely...that sickening sweet little couple from the Memphis area who cook, grill, chat, and love each other sooo much in the kitchen. I think if #3 was in my kitchen as much as Pat (isn't he suppose to be out grilling or something) is in Gina's, there would be an open door for #4 to come rushing in!

Oh well, the forever loving Neely's taught me something new and I do thank them for that...just add some butter to my basic cornbread recipe (in a couple of ways) and watch that little bit of heaven come out of the oven and onto the table for all the family and friends to gush about how really golden and tasty my cornbread has gotten to be! Hum-mm, nice to know that I am still able to adapt and improve upon something I thought I had been doing perfectly all these years.

How to make Golden Skillet Cornbread Inside and Out:
Servings: 8/Prep Time 5 minutes/Cook Time 25 minutes

 Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon oil (plus a little extra for coating the 10 1/2 inch iron skillet*)
1 tablespoon melted butter** (plus a little extra for coating the 10 1/2 inch iron skillet)
1 cup buttermilk (or a little extra) if needed to make a pourable batter)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Heat the little extra oil and butter together in a 10 1/2 inch iron skillet.
2. Stir together the first five (dry) ingredients.
3. In another bowl mix the eggs, 1 tablespoon each of oil and melted butter, and the buttermilk.
4. Make a well or hole in the center of the dry ingredients and add the liquid mixture; stir just till blended. Pour into the prepared 10 1/2 inch iron skillet with the oil and butter heating up.
5. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Invert (or not); cut into wedges. Serve immediately.

*  Gosh, Dear CB Diary...can you ever ever imagine what cornbread would taste like if it weren't cooked in an iron skillet! I pity the poor fool who doesn't own one.
** This is the secret to golden cornbread inside and out...adding butter to the skillet and the batter!

Until next time...Love, Di