My mother’s favorite cornbread recipe was not the traditional one she grew up with. That one used only cornmeal, probably like a johnny cake, with bacon grease, salt and boiling water. It was the cheapest type of food. Mama, Mother’s mother, would make this kind of cornbread to feed the hounds when there weren’t enough table scraps. When times were better the recipe incorporated an egg. Here is a recipe for that type, credited to Alison Krauss, from the Martha White website: http://marthawhite.com/Recipes/Detail.aspx?recipeID=2564&mealtype=26
What follows is the recipe written in Mother’s handwriting, labeled “one I use.” It’s my favorite too, if not for purists, or for us lazy slobs who use cornbread mix (Martha White might quarrel with me there).
Mother’s Cornbread
1 cup sifted flour
1 cup cornmeal (yellow preferred, but white is ok)
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar (your preference)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs well beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup corn oil (or canola would work)
Sift dry ingredients together. Add egg, milk and corn oil. Bake in an iron skillet in a 425 degree oven for about 30 minutes.
writinghersense 