Mom’s Golden Cornbread #BreadBakers

My mom’s golden cornbread is a family favorite, fluffy and delicious. It’s made from scratch but is just about as easy as the packets. 

Way back in 2005, my eldest daughter was in the kitchen a lot, working on some project. I finally asked her what the challenge was. She allowed that she had been looking for cornbread recipes online but just couldn’t find a good one. 

I suggested that she email her grandmother, the family expert in corn bread baking. She duly did.

And she received this reply, along with the recipe I am sharing today. 

Mom’s Golden Cornbread

I’ve added the metric equivalents but the rest is all my mom’s instructions. She did like to bake in her iron skillet but knowing we didn’t have one back then, she didn’t include that option in the original recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup or 150g yellow cornmeal

1 cup or 125g all-purpose flour

2 – 4 tablespoons sugar (To go with chili, I use only two)

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup or 240ml milk, sometimes I will add a tiny bit more milk if I find it too thick

1 egg

1/4 cup or 60ml vegetable oil like canola (do not use olive oil)

Method

Preheat oven to 425°F or 218°C.  In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. 

Add milk, egg and oil. 

Beat until fairly smooth, about one minute.  

Scrape bottom and sides well. Bake in greased 8-inch baking pan for 20-23 minutes or until lightly browned on top. 

I like to put some oil in my baking pan first and then put it in the oven to get the oil really hot, then I add the batter and bake.  This gives a nice bottom to the cornbread.

(My edit: I always do this, putting the pan with a little oil in the oven for five minutes before pouring in the batter. You can see how it sizzles when I add the batter.)

You can insert a toothpick in the middle to test for doneness. 

I will add here that Mom loved her cornbread amply buttered and often topped with Steen’s Cane Syrup which hails from her mom’s hometown of Abbeville, Louisiana. Made the old-fashioned way by boiling down cane juice until it is thick, Steen’s is the syrup of choice in Cajun Country. It is great in cakes, on biscuits, pancakes and cornbread.

Enjoy! 

This is the second Tuesday of the month which means it's time for my Bread Bakers to share recipes. Our theme is cornbread, or corn bread, if you prefer. Many thanks to our host, Dorothy from Shockingly Delicious. Check out the links below. 

• Candied Ginger Cornbread (with crystallized ginger) from Shockingly Delicious
• Corn Free Skillet Corn Bread from A Messy Kitchen
• Corn Meal Batty Cakes from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Cornbread Cupcakes from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Easy Cowboy Cornbread Casserole (Vegetarian Dinner) from The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Gluten-Free Hush Puppies (Fried and Air Fryer) from Cook with Renu
• Gluten-Free Sugar-Free Cornbread from Culinary Cam
• Mom's Golden Cornbread from Food Lust People Love
• Vegetarian Cornbread Casserole from Sneha's Recipe

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Pin Mom's Golden Cornbread for later! 

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Cointreau Glazed Orange Quick Bread

Fresh orange juice, zest and Cointreau give this lovely Cointreau glazed orange quick bread a fresh, sweet flavor that smells amazing as it bakes.

Perfect for snack, teatime or even as a dessert, this quick bread is a family favorite. Similar recipes are best known in Great Britain as lemon drizzle cakes, but as you can see, any citrus substitution will do nicely. 

Cointreau Glazed Orange Quick Bread

For anyone who doesn’t drink or cook with alcohol, the orange liqueur can be replaced with an equal amount of orange juice for both the bread batter and the glaze. This recipe makes one  8 x 4-inch or 9 x 5-inch loaf cake.

Ingredients

For the batter:

½ cup or 113g butter, softened to room temperature, plus more for the pan

1 cup or 200g sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice

1 tablespoon Cointreau or Grand Marnier 

½ teaspoon orange extract, optional

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest (from an untreated or organic orange)

1 ½ cups or 190g flour, plus more for the pan if not using baking parchment

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

½ cup or 10 ml milk

For the glaze:

½ cup or 62g powdered sugar

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice

1 tablespoon Cointreau or Grand Marnier

Method

Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Prepare your loaf pan by buttering it and either lining the bottom with baking parchment or dusting it with flour, tapping out the excess.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter with the sugar until blended and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, just to blend. 

Beat in the orange juice, the Cointreau, the extract if using and the orange zest.

Stir together the flour, the baking powder and the salt in a small bowl; beat in the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with dry, beating well after each addition and using a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides.

Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the bread is risen, the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a cooling rack.

To make the glaze, sift the confectioner’s sugar into a small bowl and add the juice and the Cointreau. Stir until you have a very smooth silky glaze. 

Slide a thin knife blade around the edges of the cake to loosen it and pour the glaze evenly all over the hot loaf, allowing some to dribble down the sides.

Leave the quick bread to cool completely before turning out of the pan and cutting into slices to serve.

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 17th edition of the 2024 Alphabet Challenge, brought to you by the letter Q. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the Q recipes below:

• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Asian Quinoa Salad 
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Butternut Squash Taco Ravioli with Queso Fresco  
• Food Lust People Love: Cointreau Glazed Orange Quick Bread 
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Loaded Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
• Palatable Pastime: Quebecoise Pommes Persillade 
• Culinary Cam: Quesabirria Tacos 
• Magical Ingredients: Queso Paratha
• Sneha’s Recipe: Quick Potato Instant Sambar - Without Dal 
• A Messy Kitchen: Quinoa Crunch Bars
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Quinoa Paniyaram
• Blogghetti: Sheet Pan Quesadillas 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Whole Wheat Quinoa Bread

Here are my posts for the alphabet challenge, thus far:
A: Anchovy Deviled Eggs
B: Spicy Braised Ginger Pork Belly
C: Cecilie's Favorite Coleslaw
D: Cajun Chicken Eggplant Dressing
E: Everything Pizza Tartin
F: Baked Chicken and Feta Meatballs
G: Grape Juice Jigglers
H: Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken Hearts
I: Raspberry Rhubarb Ice Cream
J: Java Dry Spice Mix Chops 

K. Korean Barbecue-style Meatballs 

L. Easy Lamb and Fresh Tomato Curry 

M. Fresh Mint Sauce 

N. Miso Butter Noodles 

O. Spicy Orange Braised Short Ribs 

P. Homemade Piri Piri Sauce 

Q, Cointreau Glazed Orange Quick Bread - this post!

Pin this Cointreau Glazed Orange Quick Bread!

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Niçoise Picnic Squares #BreadBakers

Baked with the eponymous French salad inspired toppings on a savory quick bread layer, these Niçoise picnic squares are perfect to pack up and go! 

We have FINALLY been enjoying some picnic friendly weather in this weirdest of summers so these pretty squares have come in handy. They travel well and are tasty as well as filling.

My toppings, loosely based on the ingredients of a classic French Salade Niçoise, shout Summer is here! for me. I hope they do for you as well. 

Niçoise Picnic Squares

Depending on your tastes or what you have on hand, the toppings can be changed up but don’t leave out the seasoning and herbs in the fluffy bread base as they add so much flavor to the squares. Keep the vegetables thin or, as I have, parboil or boil them first to make sure they will be cooked completely. 

Ingredients

For the topping:

6-8 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 egg

3 artichoke hearts, drained well and quartered

A few pitted black olives, halved or slices

1/4  purple onion, thinly sliced

7-8 anchovies, well drained

8-12 new or small waxy potatoes

12 fine green beans 

For the base:

1 1/2 cups or 190g plain flour

1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs, such as thyme, oregano and/or rosemary

1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 oz or 57g grated mozzarella

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/3 cup or 80ml olive oil, plus extra for greasing the pan and drizzling on the bread before baking

For baking:

Grated Parmesan

For serving: 

small leaves of rosemary, thyme and basil

grated Parmesan

Method

Heat the oven to 350°F or 180°C and put a rack in the middle of it. Grease and line a 9 in or 23cm square baking pan, leaving enough of a paper overhang that you can grab it to lift out the bread later. Tip: Scrunching the baking parchment into a tight ball then spreading it back out makes it much easier to fit into a square pan nicely. 

Put a small pot of salted water on to boil and fill a small bowl with ice and cold water. When the water boils, add in the green beans and cook for 1 minute. Use tongs to remove the green beans to the ice water bowl. 

Add the new potatoes to the boiling water. 

Cook for 5 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the biggest one goes in easy. Remove the potatoes from the pot and set aside to cool. 

Add your egg to the pot and bring the water back to the boil. Boil for one minute, then remove the pot from the heat and cover for 10 minutes. When the 10 minutes are up, transfer the egg to the ice water bowl. When cool enough, peel and quarter.

Meanwhile, halve the cherry tomatoes and quarter the artichoke hearts. Put the tomatoes and artichokes on paper towels and let them sit for the few minutes it takes you to prepare the batter. 

For the base, whisk the flour, herbs, baking powder, salt, crushed red pepper and black pepper in a large bowl. 

Add in the mozzarella and stir to coat. 

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and oil. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and fold until just combined. 

Scrape the batter into the lined pan.

Spread it out evenly. The batter is thick and the layer is thin, so you’ll have to poke and push it into the corners.

Arrange the topping ingredients on top in whatever pattern you like, keeping them to a single layer – drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle on some Parmesan.

Bake for 22-25 minutes or until the edges are golden and a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean. 

Transfer the bread pan to a rack, then wait five minutes before running a table knife around the edges. Lift out the bread, then slide off the paper. 

Return the bread to the rack and leave it to cool a bit before cutting it into squares. 

Sprinkle the top with the herb leaves and more Parmesan.

The squares are best eaten on the day they’re made but they can be stored overnight in the refrigerator and reheated in a warm oven, if they last that long. We also enjoyed them cold! 

Enjoy! 

It's the second Tuesday of the month so that means it's time for me and my fellow Bread Bakers to share our bakes. This month we also celebrate a special anniversary: 10 years since we created the Bread Bakers group! Our inaugural event was actually in September though. You can read my very first post here.

 https://www.foodlustpeoplelove.com/2014/09/fionas-wonderful-bread.html

Our theme this month is picnic bread! Many thanks to our host, Camilla from Culinary Cam. Check out the recipe links below.

• Baked Whole Wheat Kachori by Cook with Renu
• Checkerboard Rolls by Passion Kneaded
• Cheddar and Herb Loaf by Palatable Pastime
• Easy Sourdough French Country Bread by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Eggless Fruit & Nut Chocolate Banana Loaf by Sneha's Recipe
• Garlic Herb Fan Rolls by A Messy Kitchen
• Hushpuppies by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Niçoise Picnic Squares by Food Lust People Love
• Schiacciata all'Uva by Culinary Cam

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Pin these Niçoise Picnic Squares!

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Fluffy Multigrain Pancakes #BreadBakers

Made with whole wheat flour, cornmeal and rolled oats, these fluffy multigrain pancakes are nutty and nutritious, as well as delicious.

A few months ago my doctor told me that my bloodwork numbers weren’t great, in fact, she diagnosed pre-diabetes. Which frankly didn’t sound so much like a diagnosis as a warning. Shape up or pay the consequences later! 

Recipes like these fluffy multigrain pancakes are my small attempt to do better but the amazing thing is that I actually like them more than normal all white flour pancakes. They have so much more flavor! Not surprising, really, since I’ve always loved whole grain bread more than white. 

Fluffy Multigrain Pancakes

This recipe made 16 (4 in or 10cm) pancakes. Any leftovers can be reheated in a normal toaster which makes them a great option for busy weekday mornings. This recipe is adapted one from New York Times Cooking.

Ingredients

1 cup or 120g whole wheat/ wholemeal flour

¾ cup or 94g all-purpose flour

½ cup or 85g cornmeal

¼ cup or 30g rolled oats

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 3/4 cups Greek yogurt 

1/2 cup or 120ml milk

3 large eggs

¼ cup or 60ml canola oil 

For greasing the pancake griddle: butter

For serving:

Butter

Your favorite syrup

Method

In a large bowl, mix together whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, cornmeal, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt and milk. Whisk in the eggs and canola oil. 

Pour the yogurt/egg mixture into the flour mixture and fold well until fully incorporated.

Heat a griddle or large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. You can check to see if it’s hot by sprinkling a few drops of water on the surface. They should sizzle and evaporate immediately.

You'll notice that the batter starts to get fluffy in the bowl as the yogurt reacts with the baking powder and baking soda. When you scoop it out to make the pancakes, try not to knock the air out by stirring. This ensures that the pancakes are lovely and light. 

Add a little butter to the griddle and let it melt. Use a 1/3 cup measure to make pancakes with the batter, leaving enough room between them so you can turn the pancakes easily.  The batter is very thick so you may need to use the edge of the measuring cup to pat it out gently into a circle. 

Cook until about 2-3 minutes or until the last pancake added to the pan is browned on the bottom. Flip the first one first and so on, then cook the pancakes until they are golden on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes. 

Either transfer to a plate as they finish and serve immediately with syrup and more butter on top, if you like. Or, if everyone wants to eat together, fashion a large pouch out of foil and pop the pancakes in as they are done. Fold it closed to keep them warm until the next batch is ready. 

Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter to the griddle or pan as needed. 

We are syrup heathens from the south so we use the Pearl Milling (used to be Aunt Jemima) butter light syrup instead of real maple syrup. You can use your favorite syrup and I won’t judge. 

Enjoy! 

It’s the second Tuesday of the month so that means it’s time for my fellow Bread Bakers to share their creations. Our theme today is mixed grains bread! Many thanks to our host Karen of Karen’s Kitchen Stories. Check out the links below: 

• Aromatic Multigrain Bread with Coriander and Fennel from A Messy Kitchen
• Dhapate - Multigrain Flatbread from Sneha’s Recipe
• Easiest Multigrain sourdough Bread from Zesty South Indian kitchen
• Fluffy Multigrain Pancakes from Food Lust People Love
• Multi-Grain Dinner Rolls from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Roasted Potato Multigrain Bread from What Smells So Good?
• Spelt, Barley, and White Wheat Rustic Loaf from Karen’s Kitchen Stories

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Pin these Fluffy Multigrain Pancakes!

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Chocolate Chocolate Chip Mini Loaves #BreadBakers

These Chocolate Chocolate Chip Mini Loaves are baked with cocoa and chocolate chips. Applesauce adds moisture and nutrition - not that you’ll notice it’s there flavor-wise! It's all about the chocolate!

Like many of my friends who love cooking and baking, I have a lot of pans that I rarely use but still keep, you know, just in case. The little vintage loaf pans I used for this recipe are a good example. I inherited them, if memory serves, from my paternal grandmother who used them to make fruitcake to give away at Christmastime. 

I actually own six of these little pans but since there are just two of us at home, it seemed like a good idea just to make four mini loaves. If you don't have mini loaf pans, you can bake this batter as muffins.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Mini Loaves

This recipe is for a small batch of just four mini loaves but it’s easily doubled if you need eight. Or even trebled. This batter is very forgiving like that. My mini loaf pans have a capacity of one cup or 240ml by volume.

Ingredients

1 cup or 125g flour

1/4 cup or 20g cocoa

1/4 cup or 50g white sugar

1/4 cup, packed, or 50g brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup or 75g applesauce (I used homemade but store-bought works fine.)

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons canola oil, plus extra for the pans

1/4 cup or 50g semi-sweet chocolate chips plus a little extra for topping, if desired.

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your four mini loaf pans by brushing or spraying the insides with oil.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your flour, sugars and baking powder. 

Mix in the chocolate chips and use your clean hands to separate any that are stuck together. 

In another smaller bowl, whisk together your applesauce, egg, milk and oil.

Pour your wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold until they are just combined. 

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared mini loaf pans. Add a few more chocolate chips to the top, if desired.  

Bake in your preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the mini loaves are puffed up and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Run a offset spatula or butter knife around the edges of the pans and gently turn the  loaves out of the pans and cool further on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

It's the second Tuesday of the month so that means it's time for my Bread Baker friends to share their recipes. Our theme is chocolate breads! Many thanks to our host Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. 

• Chocolate Chip Breadsticks from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Chocolate Chocolate Chip Mini Loaves from Food Lust People Love 
• Chocolate Crepes from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Chocolate Fudge Sauce Star Bread from Sneha's Recipe
• Chocolate Protein Oat Banana Waffles from Cook with Renu
• Chocolate Swirl Buns from Passion Kneaded
• Double Chocolate Chip Bread from Palatable Pastime
• Lemon and Ginger Scented White Chocolate Sourdough from A Messy Kitchen
• Milk and Chocolate Rolls from Magical Ingredients

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Pin these Chocolate Chocolate Chip Mini Loaves!

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