Dad's Southern Cornbread

 For cornbread, Dad always made it “southern style”—baked in a cast iron dish, cut in squares with butter on top.   He almost always bought the Alber’s boxed brand (that blue and orange box). A few times, he got adventurous and strayed, but 90% of the time he used the recipe on the back of the Alber’s box. He added his own twist, though— a can of corn with the liquid drained for extra moisture and heartiness. I think once he even tried cream style corn. But he liked the texture of the whole kernel kind. He preferred to use and electric mixer to blend the wet and dry ingredients together, because he thought it came out more even. But it is easily done by hand too. When it was done, he always spread some butter or margarine around over the top, to keep it moist and soft. So here is the recipe with Dad’s little twists:

Dad’s Southern Corn Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Albers White or Yellow Corn Meal (or any kind you have)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 can (15 oz.) whole kernel corn, liquid drained (or cream style corn)
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine (for spreading over the top after baking)

TIP: Sometimes Dad would add 1/2 stick melted butter, mixed into the batter. Gave it a great flavor and made it extra moist. 

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 8-inch square baking pan, or a cast iron skillet.

2.       Combine corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Combine milk, oil and egg in small bowl; mix well. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until blended (and melted butter, if desired). You can use an electric mixer to combine them, or do it by hand.  Allow batter to sit for about 15 minutes-- this gives it time for the corn meal to soak up some liquid and be less grainy. Pour batter into prepared pan/skillet.

3.       Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and spread the tablespoon of butter or margarine over the entire surface of the cornbread, to keep it soft and seal in the moisture. Cut into squares, or wedges. Serve warm.

NOTE:  Use medium cast iron skillet, or a 13x9-inch baking pan; bake as above. Recipe can be doubled. 

FOR MUFFINS:
 

Spoon batter into 10 to 12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Bake in preheated 400°F oven for 15 minutes.