King Arthur's Cornbread

It's been unusually cold here in Minnesota the past few days, which meant I could finally make the chili I had been craving for the last few weeks. And what goes great with chili? Cornbread, of course!

I've never made cornbread from scratch and this was a good recipe to start with. It was tender and moist, but it wasn't quite sweet enough for me. The butter flavor was also a little too strong, which might have been because, when I started making the recipe, I didn't realize the butter needed to be melted AND cooled. I didn't wait for it to cool completely because, well, we were hungry! I definitely will next time and hopefully that will help eliminate some of the butter flavor and, if I'm lucky, will give it the sweetness I am looking for.

King Arthur's Cornbread
(Source: King Arthur Flour)

1 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch square or round pan (a cast iron skillet will work fine, too), shallow 1 1/2 quart casserole dish, or 12 muffin cups.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. Stir in any desired herbs, cheese, corn kernels, or other flavorings. (I didn't add anything this time, since this was my first time using the recipe, but I might consider it next time.)

4. In another bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the milk, melted butter, and egg.

5. Pour the liquid all at once into the flour mixture, stirring quickly and gently until just combined.

6. Spread the batter into the prepared pan, or scoop into the muffin tin.

7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges just begin to pull away from the pan and a cake tester or paring knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

8. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 5 minutes before cutting; serve warm.