A corn bread tale

So, here's the experiment, turning the family corn bread recipe into a dairy free recipe. 

The original is already gluten free, as it has no flour, but how to duplicate the butter milk taste. 

I bet the old folks didn't realize that gluten free would be so embraced in the future.   

Grandma said it was an adventure to go get flour when she was young. I guess getting ground corn was easier.

The original is corn meal, butter milk, soda, salt, an egg, and some vegetable oil.

Pretty simple, and really enjoyable.

So the butter milk has a unique flavor and texture.  The trick is duplicating it. And when  baking soda is added, it acts as leavening agent for the bread. 

I took unsweetened original almond milk, 1 teaspoon of corn starch, 1 teaspoon of Earth Balance spread, and 1 teaspoon of distilled vinegar.

Whisked it together, and then added the rest of the ingredients. Corn meal, salt, and oil. I added a teaspoon of baking powder just in case.  

The batter looked thin at first,  but baked up golden brown and crunchy

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened original almond milk

1 teaspoon corn starch

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 teaspoon Earth Balance or other margarine

1 egg

1 1/4 cup corn meal

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 375

In a cast iron skillet heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

In a large mixing bowl, add milk, margarine, vinegar and corn starch, whisk together and met sit for 5 minutes.

Add baking soda and baking powder. 

Best add the egg and whisk together.

Add the corn meal and salt. Whisk until smooth.

Put the skillet on the stove top on medium heat. 

When the pan is hot. Add the batter and let it cook until a little bubbly

Put in the oven for 30 minutes. Test to make sure it's done by sticking a t toothpick I'm the middle. If it is firm and clean, it's done.  Let it rest for 5 minutes

Turn out onto a plate and serve. 

The analysis, crumbly, Moist, nice corn flavor. Keep in mind this is not a sweet bread, as it has no sugar. 

Belle's Special Cornbread.

As a food blogger I love creating new recipes and sharing them along with some old family favorites. This recipe is part of that "secret" collection I was never quite sure if I wanted to share. I say this because my Gram made it this way, and I confess I prefer cornbread make like this. No flour,and  no sugar, It's sweet enough and firm enough all on it's own. Gram always said cornbread make with flour and sugar was corn-cake not cornbread.

Depending on the texture you want, choose course ground of a finer ground cornmeal.  the more course the cornmeal the crumblier the cornbread will be.

Since Gram was from NW Arkansas, there is a great mill, to get fresh organic cornmeal and other goodies. It's call War Eagle Mill outside Rogers, AR. Look them up sometime.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup organic yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 Tsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1 egg.

Directions:

Mix the baking soda into the buttermilk.
In a large bowl mix the buttermilk mixture, cornmeal, oil and salt.
Beat the egg, then add it to the mixture
Preheat oven to 350. In a well seasoned cast iron skillet, add a little oil. Place it on the the stove top on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the batter. Let it cook on the stove top for 2 or three minutes.This makes a nice crunch crust. Then put it in the oven and bake until a tooth pick tests clean about 20 mins.

Cut in to wedges and serve with melted butter... Yum.

Adams Family Cookbook