Bill's Cornbread

  I love cornbread and I often buy a box of my favorite commercial mix: Krusteaz Honey Cornbread. It couldn't be easier, needs very little added and I think the taste and texture are the best of any I've tried.

 But sometimes I want to make my own. If for no other reason, it's cheaper.

 I usually follow the directions on the box of corn meal. I buy Kroger's brand. I'm happy with their cornmeal but I've never been satisfied with the recipe. I wanted something cornier and something sweeter.

 So today I made a pan that I modified.

Bill's Cornbread

• 1-1/4 cups cornmeal
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

 I baked this in a greased 8" square glass pan at 400° for 25 minutes. During the final two minutes or so, I turned my boiler on high and rotated the pan half-way through. This browns the top better.

There's plenty of disagreement about what makes great cornbread. I've always preferred what's considered a "northern" version: sweeter and perhaps a little more cake-like. Here's an interesting discussion. Cracker Barrel's, in my opinion, is more of the "southern" variety.

This recipe is much closer to my ideal cornbread. I wanted more of a corn taste, a texture that is more yellow, and I certainly wanted it sweeter. This answers to all those desires.