Cornbread
I absolutely loved the cornbread my mom made growing up.
It came from an old-school Betty Crocker cookbook. The book that sat in my mom’s cupboard, with its red and white gingham hardcover, now sits in mine.
Its torn pages, tinted yellow from age, are filled with recipes for cakes, cookies, and old- timey casseroles filled with nostalgia. Once in a while, I still like to look through it and think of my time spent with mom in the kitchen.
I adapted this recipe from that Betty Crocker book to be a vegan version that’s just as easy and delicious. T
The recipe is classic, simple, and not too sweet. It’s also pretty straight forward, with no weird or hard-to-find ingredients (unless you have trouble getting your hands on plant-based butter).
Cornbread is great with chili, red beans and rice, braised cabbage… the list goes on.
The next time you’re looking for some bread to go along with a comforting meal, give this one a try.
Down-home Goodness.
You will need:
8 x 8-inch metal pan ( can use a 9 x 13-inch pan, a 10 inch cast iron pan, or muffin tin)
Large bowl
Small saucepan or bowl
Sifter
Liquid measure
Whisk
Spatula or spoon
NOTES:
An 8 x 8-inch metal pan is called out, but you can use a 9 x 13-inch pan or 10-inch cast-iron pan for cornbread that is not as high.
If you use a different pan size, your cornbread may take less time to bake.
My preference is to use Violife unsalted butter, but use your favorite for best results. See below if you only have salted butter.
If you use salted butter, try reducing the salt down to 1 teaspoon (but please note, this is a guestimate as the saltiness of salted butter varies from brand to brand).
READY, SET, EAT
INGREDIENTS:
240g (2 C ) all-purpose flour
2 T +2 tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
240 g (2 C) cornmeal
100g (½ C) sugar (vegan-friendly or organic)
2 C plant milk (room temp)
113 g plant butter (melted, unsalted)
120 ml (½ C) plus 1 tsp. neutral oil (I like grapeseed or avocado- coconut oil is good too, but changes the flavor slightly)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°
Melt butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl. Let it cool a bit (so it is not steaming hot)- set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Then, mix in sugar, salt, and cornmeal. * If you are working with fine sugar or salt, you can go ahead and sift in with the flour and baking powder*
Add the milk, ½ cup of the oil, and butter to the flour mixture. Mix with a spatula until well combined and no dry spots of flour or cornmeal (don’t over mix).
Add the remaining oil (1 tsp.) to the bottom of the pan, then place it in the oven for a couple of minutes. After the oil is warm and spreads easily around the baking dish, carefully remove from the oven and pour in cornbread mixture. Place back in the oven on the middle rack.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown, a toothpick or fork comes out clean, and there is no jiggle (you can also press on the top to check for firmness). ** You may have to bake less for a larger 9 x 13-inch pan- start checking at 20 minutes**
Let cool for at least 10 minutes.
Cut, serve, and enjoy!
