Whole kernels make buttermilk cornbread even more perfect

I’ve enjoyed what I thought was Nan’s buttermilk cornbread for several years. I assumed her recipe came from a friend, since the recipe card looked well-used, with stains and notes that seemed to come from longtime use.

Last week, I asked Nan to make her cornbread and add a can of sweet corn kernels, as a friend of ours had done to their cornbread at a recent dinner. I loved its texture and sweetness.

When I brought home a can of organic sweet corn, Nan agreed to add it to her next batch of cornbread. Nan’s cornbread was always excellent (she paid me $5 to write that), but the added sweet corn definitely took it to a new level.

I took a picture of her recipe card and noticed that the recipe’s name started with Ben Mims. I asked Nan who Ben Mims was, expecting a story of the time she spent in Germany when she was married to an Army man. Not so.

Nan explained her recipe appeared in Southern Living magazine not that long ago. A quick search showed me the recipe appeared in 2018.

In addition to how sensational her cornbread tastes, Nan loved how it was prepared. The iron skillet in which the cornbread will be baked is placed in the oven with a stick of butter in it so it melts as the oven heats.

Using a hot pad since the handle is hot, Nan removes the skillet from the oven and pours that melted butter into her cornbread’s batter. The butter remaining in the skillet keeps the cornbread from sticking since the batter goes right back into that skillet.

Nan also uses as many organic ingredients as possible. Not because we’re snobs. No. We believe that organic butter from grass-fed, pastured cows is a healthier alternative.

About a year ago, Nan started making her cornbread with organic Einkorn flour because I’d been working with Einkorn flour for about a year before that.

Einkorn flour is frequently called the “original” wheat and appeared nearly 12,000 years ago. Einkorn flour has not been hybridized, as today’s wheat has been. Nan and I like it since it works in all baked recipes (except for bread) the same as today’s wheat flour.

We’re fortunate that we can buy eggs from a local farm. They’re not certified organic, but the shells are tough, the whites are nearly clear, and the yolks are a bright, marigold yellow. And they taste great. Yes, I know I haven’t done a comparative analysis taste test, and, therefore, the seeming difference in flavor could be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The original cornbread recipe had zero added sugar, making it as authentic a Southern cornbread as possible. To sweeten it up a bit, I liked to drizzle some local honey on my warm cornbread. Yummmm. The addition of corn in this version will bring an extra sweetness of its own.

The only hassle-factor Nan has with this recipe is the weight of our iron skillet. She said it’s definitely worth the effort. Really.

• Don Mauer welcomes questions, comments and recipe makeover requests. Write to him at 1leanwizard@gmail.com.

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Nan’s Sweet Cornbread

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter*

1 cup whole-grain yellow cornmeal*

1 cup all-purpose, unbleached flour*

1 tablespoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

2 packets of organic stevia

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups low-fat buttermilk*

2 large eggs*

1 (15.25-ounce) can organic, whole kernel sweet corn, drained

Place the oven rack in the center position and begin heating the oven to 425°F.

Place the butter in a 10-inch iron skillet and place the skillet in the oven while it heats to melt the butter. Once the butter begins to melt, remove the pan from the warming oven. The heat of the skillet will continue to melt the butter.

Add the buttermilk and eggs to a medium mixing bowl and whisk together until combined. Set aside.

Add the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, stevia, and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk together until combined. Add the buttermilk mixture, melted butter, and corn to the dry ingredients and stir together until well combined. Transfer the batter to the skillet, smooth out the top, and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs on it. Carefully (the skillet handle is hot) transfer to a wire rack and cut into 12 wedges. Serve immediately.

Makes 12 servings.

*Note: Organic preferred.

Nutrition values per serving: 192 calories (45% from fat), 9.6g fat (5.4g saturated fat), 21.6g carbohydrates (20 net carbs), 3.6g sugars, 1.4g fiber, 5g protein, 57mg cholesterol, 328mg sodium. SaltSense: Omitting the kosher salt reduces the sodium per serving to 235mg.

— Don Mauer