Just your basic cornbread recipe

So seriously, my food photography stinks. I drool over websites like Food Gawker, and I am ashamed of myself. I really need to work on it, but I never think ahead to do basic things like use natural lighting. Now the days are so much shorter, and so I can pretty much guarantee that the pictures will not get much better for some time. My apologies.

I will try to make up for the lame, poorly lit photograph by sharing with you my go-to cornbread recipe. Cornbread is a true Southern staple, and now that it's soup-and-stew season, I find myself making it at least once a week. I know you can get the stuff in a box, and it's not even all that bad, but this is really good, cheap, and easy. You can make it in an 8x8 pan, if you prefer - I like the crispy outside the best, so I bake it in a muffin tin to maximize the effect.

One other trick that is really not sanctioned by the American Heart Association is to throw a cast iron skillet (or your Pyrex pan, if you're lacking in cast iron) in the oven as it's preheating, and add a lump of butter or bacon fat (forgive me!) to the hot pan, to grease it up. Pour batter into sizzling hot pan. Mmmmmmmm......

So here you go - my favorite, basic cornbread recipe. Go forth and enjoy.

Basic Cornbread

(from Better Homes & Gardens)

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
2-4 TBS brown sugar (you decide how sweet you like your cornbread - my family prefers sweeter)
1 TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 beaten eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil

Preheat oven to 425. Put your pan of choice in the oven while it's heating up, letting your pan get good and hot.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well blended, and make a well in the center. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix milk, eggs, and oil. Pour liquid mixture into the dry mixture all at once.

STIR JUST UNTIL MOISTENED. (Didja get that?Don't overbeat it, or your cornbread will be tough. And you'll be so sorry.)

Carefully remove your pan or muffin tins from the oven. Working quickly, spray bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides with nonstick cooking spray (or else drop in that knob of aforementioned saturated fat, and spread it around ....mmmmmmmm.....). Pour batter into sizzling hot pan. If using muffin tins, only fill them about 2/3 of the way.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes for an 8x8 pan, or 12-15 minutes for muffins, until tops are golden brown like they are in that wretched picture, and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve slathered with butter. Mmmmmmmm.......

(p.s. My kids, and my granddad, like the leftovers warmed up and mashed up in a cereal bowl with milk and a sprinkle of sugar or drizzle of maple syrup. Just sayin'.)