Malty Maple Cornbread

Just like scones, no two cornbread recipes are alike. I made this flavour of cornbread from the Beer cookbook. It had a sweet malty flavour and the texture was buttery, moist and yet crumbly. The only addition I made was placing grated cheese on top before the bread went into the oven to bake. When baked the cornbread had the perfect bubbly cheesy crust on top. You don't have to add cheese however cheese, porter, and maple syrup need I say more! 

Malty Maple Cornbread

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makes 9 servings

1 cup coarse ground cornmeal

1 cup dark ale or porter

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 large eggs

1/4 melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Grease 9x9-inch pan. Combine cornmeal, porter and maple syrup in a small bowl.

2. Sift flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl. Add cornmeal mixture, eggs and melted butter. Stir until well blended.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into centre comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Cut into squares. 

Notes: I slightly greased the pan and then lined the pan with baking parchment. I used porter not a dark ale so the flavour was a bit more robust. Second slices were had however there were leftovers and after a few days the flavour did not mellow it seemed to intensify. 

The sun has retreated today. Overcast skies and a chill is in the air. Winter will soon be here. Have a great weekend everyone! - JD  

Food Photo of the Day ~ Spicy Cornbread

Usually when I make cornbread I bake a no fuss plain version to satisfy the masses however this time I felt the need to add about 1 tablespoon of crushed dried chilies, a nice dose of maple bacon seasoning mix, and more than a handful of grated Monterey cheese,  for the top. The bread smelt wonderful as it baked. It had a very palatable smoky sweet flavour with the right amount of heat... spice and the melted cheese on top, golden brown perfection. 

Enjoy the sunshine and have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

My Week in Food

As you know I made cornbread yesterday. I used a different recipe this time and it turned out fine. I replaced the flour with cornflour and still used the amount of cornmeal the recipe asked for. The texture was soft and smooth which in turn made it crumbly... too crumbly. Since the recipe called for a 1/2 cup sugar the cornbread was a bit on the sweet side. I like a bit of sweetness however not major sweetness when it comes to cornbread. 

This chili had a nice level of spiciness which gave an even heat. Which in turn helped my cold a bit. There are leftovers and as this chili ages... or sits it will get more spicier. I am planning on doing Chili Dogs for dinner on Friday with the leftovers. Hopefully by that time this cold will be gone and I will be able to enjoy the spiciness for pure spiciness sake!

When one has an overabundance of apples then an apple pie is definitely going in the oven. Making it in a flan pan completely turned this classic dessert into more of a substantial deep dish apple pie.  

This morning I made a simple spaghetti meat sauce and if any leftovers are to be had, it will be going on the pizza's I am making for dinner on Saturday night. 


As more comfort... food is being dished out from the kitchen I am feeling a bit better today although this cold is lingering. Hope your week has been good so far! - JW    

Cornbread

For some reason over the past week I have made three pans of cornbread. I can't really explain this one other than the fact that it is very tasty! I have used more of a finer cornmeal in the past. Almost like a corn flour you would say. But I have found a more coarser cornmeal which gives more of a crunchy texture. I group cornbread with scones, it's one of those ever present versatile pieces complimenting whatever dish it is paired with. Whether it be lunch, dinner or breakfast, cornbread adds comfort to any plate.

Here I mixed 1 cup of cornmeal with one cup of flour, white or whole wheat you decide. A pinch of salt. About 4 tablespoons baking powder. About 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar... I prefer to use brown sugar. If you are watching your sugar intake then reduce the sugar or skip it altogether. Then add these next three ingredients to the dry ingredients you have just measured out. Sometimes I am a one bowl kind of girl. Using every possible or separate dish or bowl means only one thing, I have to wash them all. Who wants to spend a lot of time washing when there are other things to do! Make a well in the middle of the bowl. 

Add one egg, about a cup of milk and about 1/4 cup of soft butter or margarine. Mix until all is smooth and combined. No overbeating. Pour into a greased pan. I used a square 8 inch pan that was greased and lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated 425º oven for approximately 25 minutes, checking half way. As always it's best to serve warm! 

Have fun and add this to whatever dish you are making this weekend. Enjoy! - jw