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Saturday, July 2, 2011

Kentucky Cornbread



Laura Frantz’s recipe for Kentucky Cornbread.

Kentucky Cornbread
1 cup self-rising white cornmeal
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 Tablespoons bacon grease

Beat egg and buttermilk together. Add cornmeal and bacon grease. Grease loaf pan and pour mixture in. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or till slightly golden on top.
Slather with butterJ.

This recipe has been in our family for generations. I use my great-grandmother’s cornbread pan that is now blackened with age and very worn but makes perfect cornbread every time. Since it’s so old, it’s an odd shape but is very durable and shows no signs of giving out.
Happy eating!

17 comments:

  1. I love cornbread! Your recipe sounds delicious! The old, blackened and seasoned pans give cornbread a nice crust. My grandfather taught me one of his favorite "desserts" from his childhood: crumble a small hunk of cornbread into a bowl and top with butter and maple syrup. It's really yummy : )

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  2. a meal is not complete without cornbread. I remember growing up my great grandmother would fix cornbread for every meal. It was her bread of choice. For dinner we would have sweet cornbread she would add sugar to the mix, so it was sort of our dessert as well.

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  3. Virginia, Yes, that sounds heavenly! I think one of the best things about cornbread is that it can be enjoyed so many different ways:) And good point - those old pans really do make a very nice crust. So happy to see you here as I know you are a fine cook!

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  4. Oh, I will definitely have to try your cornbread recipe, Laura! My mom has said my great-grandmother made wonderful cornbread, in fact when she was a little girl she always left Mamaw Bessie's house with a piece of cornbread. I have very fond memories of my grandmother's fried cornbread, maybe someday I'll be able to duplicate it.

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  5. Carissa, We are kindred spirits:) My granny would make it for every meal also, every single day. And we never got tired of it! I bet you were the same! I still try to make it as often as I can as it goes so well with so many things - soup beans, big garden vegetable dinners, pork roast, fried fish, etc. Hmmm...I'm getting hungry!!

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  6. Michelle, I hope you like if you try! Way out here we can't even get the right cornmeal so I have to haul it on the plane when I travel. Several pounds of cornmeal in bags makes it very heavy:) I think our great-grands and grands were onto something! It even tastes good leftover and cold - and fried corncakes are yummy!

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  7. My family loves cornbread as a dessert, fresh from the oven and topped with butter and jelly or honey. We love it as a bread with a meal. We love to put a square of cornbread in a bowl and top it with chili. We love cornbread stuffing. I guess you could say... we just plain love cornbread!

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  8. Oh Pegg, You've named my great weakness ~ cornbread stuffing! And you've given me an idea. I'll try to remember to post my favorite recipe for it around Thanksgiving time. Would be fun to share recipes here around the start of the holidays. And YES, chili and cornbread is the best or as a dessert - or anytime and anyway:)

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  9. This looks like a fabulous recipe! Thanks for sharing it with us, Laura! I loved my mom's Johnny cake. She did not call it cornbread. Pretty good clue as to her original Virginia roots, via KY, as they used to call it "Journey cake" because it traveled so well. Looking forward to getting some fresh ground corn meal when I go to MI. That is the best - fresh stone ground corn meal. I wonder if Pegg ever goes there in MI. to get some.

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  10. There are several functioning grist mills here in Michigan. None are near me. Which one do you go to?

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  11. The one at Cross Roads Village near Flint, Pegg. My mom would always have me get her some there when we stopped on our way up to the U.P. I love that place. And loved the Johnny cake Mom made in the cast iron skillet. I don't have one myself. Love cornbread, though, and can't wait to try this recipe! Made in a very uncolonial manner in the microwave in little silicone cupcake containers!

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  12. Oh! Making cornbread in a microwave?! My heart just sank. That's so... so... WRONG! Stop at a Mackinac Outfitters in Mackinaw City before you cross the bridge and purchase thyself a case iron skillet. Or two! Microwave. *shutters*

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  13. THAT is a proper cornbread recipe! And just how I make it too, except bigger.

    Virginia, it's not the old blackened pan that gives it that yummy crunchy crust. It's melting the bacon grease or a big spoon of shortening in the pan and letting it get sizzling hot. Then pour the batter in.

    I love my cornbread "dessert" with honey on it.

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  14. Rachel, I think you are right:) I melt that bacon grease or shortening and then pour the butter in and it sizzles and crisps up while baking so very fine... Just finished dinner and am hungry again! Oh, what I'd give for a good gristmill locally. Guess I'll just have to write about one instead. Bless you ladies and happy almost Independence Day!!

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  15. LOL Pegg! My arthritic hands could not lift the iron skillet to put it over the fire or on the stove in my case. Thanks for the suggestion though as I would love to stop by there!

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  16. And the winner of a copy of The Colonel's Lady is Michelle! Come by for our July 4th celebration, too! Congrats!

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  17. Many nights supper was cornbread & milk

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