Cornbread with a Taste of Honey
By Cal Orey
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About a decade ago, I used to buy a convenient store-bought mix of honey cornbread that boasts on the package “natural,” along with a box of cornmeal. One day a reader of "Callie's Cabin" said she reads my column, and I smiled. But then she darted the remark with a reprimanding tone, "You used a box mix?" it made me pause. Her comment was like that sound you hear when accidentally scraping your fingernail on a blackboard or a Food Network judge frowns when they taste your work. So, yeah, it was an "ah ha" moment.
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1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1 large organic egg
3/4 cup half and half
1/3 cup European style butter or extra virgin olive oil (save a
bit to grease dish)
2 tablespoons orange rind
Raw honey and butter
In a medium bowl, mix
dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and sugar). Add wet
ingredients (egg, half and half, juice, and butter). Fold in rind. Pour batter
into lightly buttered 8-inch by 8-inch dish. Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes or until firm and light golden
brown. Cool. Serve warm. You can slice squares from the dish or turn it over
and out, cut slices and serve on a plate. Serves 10-12. Callie's Tips:: *You
can add 3/4 cup fresh late summertime blueberries, blackberries or
strawberries. *Honey butter (3/4 butter and 1/4 honey) is popular in Northern
regions.*Cornbread freezes well. *This recipe makes about 8-10 muffins.
Enjoy
this cornbread with fish soups, grilled poultry or fresh salads like I did. Cornbread takes me back to our former Marie Callender's
on Highway 50. It was years ago I'd always enjoy the salad bar with mini
cornbread loaves and honey butter. But, these days you can purchase online bags
of the original cornbread mix (the items notes "made-from-scratch-taste, just
add water, no trans fats"). Still, making this hearty quick bread with
cornmeal and your own ingredients is good. The citrusy twist and local honey
sweetens it up for the end of summer outdoor meals and for upcoming cool autumn
days and nights.
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