Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread

I made this cornbread to go with the red beans in the post above.

A month or so ago, I saw that the local co-op grocery store had 5lb bags of locally, fresh milled, yellow corn meal and I just couldn't pass it up. ...I have no clue what to do with corn meal. This sounds familiar, doesn't? Maybe reminiscent of my cherry-glut week this summer?

Well, the bottom line is that I looked up what to use corn meal in and decided that cornbread sounded delicious. From my research, I found out that, if you are a purist, cornbread has no flour and no sugar in it. Also, the recipes that claimed authenticity did not have butter. I had no idea cornbread was not made with butter. Anyway, I stuck with the no flour and no butter, but I had to add just a subtle sweetness, so I added a tablespoon of sugar and also served it with local honey from the farmer's market. Soooo good. And it was so easy! I definitely will be making this again, it took only 25 minutes from start to finish!

Cornbread

Adapted from Snug Hollow Farm Bed and Breakfast

2 cups cornmeal (white or yellow, I used yellow)

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon soda

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup oil, divided

2 eggs, beaten

Mix dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Add eggs, milk, and 2 tablespoons oil to dry ingredients and stir well. Heat remaining oil in a 9 inch black cast iron skillet until smoking (be careful). Pour cornbread mix into hot skillet and place in preheated 425F oven.

Now the fun begins. Ater the cornbread has baked for about 10 minutes, shake to see if the middle is set (mine wasn't read until 14 minutes). If it is set, remove from oven, and, working very fast, run a spatula around the sides of the cornbread, lift and flip the corn bread in the skillet so that the top is now the bottom. I had trouble with this, so I got a big plate, turned the cornbread out on the plate, and then put the cornbread back into the skillet with the old top now on the bottom. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes. When you turn it out it will be golden on all sides. Just do not over-bake it, k?