I love cornbread. It can be sweet, it can be savory, and it goes with darn near everything. I especially love cornbread that’s a little on the spicy side, and because I happen to have an abundance of jalapenos this summer I’ve been a pretty happy girl lately.
There is a secret to making good cornbread better, something my mother-in-law taught me when I moved to the south. You have to preheat your skillet! I stick mine in while the oven is preheating. I don’t know why it makes such a difference, but it does!
Honey Jalapeno Cornbread Recipe
Serves 8
Ingredients:
a big spoonful of bacon grease (or oil)
1 1/3 cup yellow corn meal
1 1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup honey
2-4 jalapenos, chopped (more or less to change heat level)
1 1/2 cups milk
3 eggs
3 Tbsp butter, melted
Spoon the bacon grease into a 12″ cast iron skillet (or cake pan), place the skillet in the oven and turn it to preheat to 425 degrees.
Mix the corn meal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and white sugar.
To the dry ingredients mix in everything else. When the oven is preheated remove the skillet, swish the grease around the bottom of side of the skillet. Pour the batter into the skillet.
Cook the cornbread for 20-25 minutes, until golden on top. Allow the cornbread to cool before serving.
