This is the best tasting, most deliciously moist cornbread recipe I've made to date.
Originally adapted from a recipe by Patrick and Gina Neely of "Down Home with the Neelys" on food network, I have changed it to my
personal preferences regarding the ingredients and the cooking method.
Mini Honey Cornbread Loaves
Meet the Honey Cornbread Team:
1 C. Yellow Cornmeal
1/4 C. sugar
A little less than 1/4 C. Honey
1 C. All Purpose Flour
1 C. whole Milk
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1/2 stick of butter melted (I used unsalted butter)
Non-Stick spray or butter for pan
Notes: The Neely recipe calls for 1/4 C. Honey and 1/2 C. sugar. I didn't want that much sweetness and I wanted to keep the corn flavor on top.
If you don't have a mini loaf pan, you can use muffin tins. My loaf pan makes 8 mini loaves.
Jane Doe Cooks....
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees if using a loaf pan or muffin tin. If you are going to use paper muffin cups in the muffin pan, the oven can be set at 400 degrees, if you try to bake them at 400 without the paper cups they get too dark on the sides and bottom before completely cooking the inside.
Whisk together the dry ingredients first. Flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, and cornmeal
Now whisk together the wet ingredients
in a separate bowl. Eggs, milk, melted butter, and honey.
HOT TIP!
I melt my butter in the microwave using
a 1 cup plastic measure with one of the smallest elastic covers that you buy at the dollar stores. This means no pan clean up and the plastic keeps it from splattering. I do it in 15 seconds intervals till completely melted
Mix the wet ingredients with the dry
and stir until smooth.
Pour the batter into your sprayed or buttered muffin pan. I use a large measuring bowl and a spatula. It works out very well. Fill them about halfway, depending on the size of your muffin tin. I like to fill them halfway first for each one, then distribute the remainder so they are even.
Now they are ready for the oven.
I had to cook mine for about 25 minutes total in an electric oven, the gas oven would have taken less time. Also, the light in my electric oven is MUCH different than the gas oven was.
It is difficult to see proper browning unless I take the pan out of the oven to check. I have had recipes get too done because I could not see it well enough to know the extent of the browing.
Oven times will vary. If you are using muffing cups set it for 15 minutes and check them for browning on edges.
They look beautiful! Can't wait to sample them!
I loosen the edges with a plastic cake server, so they lift out of the pan very easily and intact.
Then on to a cooling rack.
These are so moist, and they don't crumble all over the place when you try to cut them or spread butter. My grand-girlie loved them, she used them to sop up extra spaghetti sauce. (would not have been my first choice. LOL) You can spread butter on them, drizzle some honey...whatever you like. They are not too sweet and the cornbread flavor is still there.
