Maybe I'm A-Maized (Gluten Free) Cornbread

“Maybe I’m A-Maized” Cornbread

(Gluten Free)

adapted from recipetips.com by Blue Heron Kitchen

Dedicated to my beautiful and brave daughter, Alexandra

Whether you eat gluten or not, this may become a regular accompaniment to meals, a breakfast item or a wonderful snack. Just barely in time for your Thanksgiving feast, a cornbread that’s delicious for the table or as a base for stuffing (let it dry out or you can toast it in the oven.) Fire it up with some jalapeños or red chile flakes. Try adding some bacon fat and cracklings! Add dried fruit or nuts, or you may want to sweeten it more for a southern-style cornbread.

To serve, butter, jam, honey, syrup.. or on its own are all delicious. I slathered mine with salty butter that I’d blended with some raw honey. Are you entering the ‘a-maized harina’?

The hardest part of this recipe may be locating one ingredient: Masa Harina De Maiz. (Make sure it’s Masa Harina De Maiz.) Bob's Red Mill is a tried and true resource. If you’re lucky enough to live near a good Mexican or Hispanic grocery store, you’ll have no problem finding this fantastic cornmeal.  I found mine in neighboring Jackson Heights, Queens. No problem in finding this online .. but you may have to scramble if you’re going to bake this for your Thanksgiving feast. Masa Harina de Maiz is cornmeal that’s soaked in lime before it’s ground. When you open the bag, you'll smell the familiar, gorgeous scent of tortillas.

You can sour your milk a day in advance. Mine became somewhat clumpy and almost as thick as yogurt. If you have time, try it. If dairy messes you up, sour some unsweetened cashew or other nut milk. I prefer cashew milk because it has a higher fat content and doesn't taste like nuts.

When you preheat your skillet, you can put a piece of foil on the handle to remind you that it’s hot. It would suck to spend Thanksgiving receiving burn treatment in the ER.

Feeling corny? Whip out your cast iron skillet!

This Thanksgiving, be a patriot. As you celebrate your good fortune with the bounty of food, shelter, friends, family and freedom, commit to welcoming Syrian refugees seeking freedom from barbarism and tyranny.

If we close our doors to these innocents, it's time to ship "our lady in the harbor" back to France.

peace and love,

jane

Cornbread (Gluten-Free)

Ingredients:

2 c. whole milk (or unsweetened almond or cashew milk)

2 Tbsp. white or apple cider vinegar

1 c./120 g. Masa Harina De Maiz

¾ c./105 g. cornmeal (organic preferred, medium grind is good)

2 eggs, size large, room temperature

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil (Canola is good) or melted butter (1 oz./26 g.), plus more for skillet

1 Tbsp./12 g. sugar or 1 Tbsp. honey

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp./4 g. baking powder (Aluminum free: Rumford is great. Make sure it’s FRESH!)

1 tsp./6 g. baking soda

Some possible additions: a greater amount of sugar or honey, chopped jalapno pepper, chopped dried fruit, chopped nuts, substitute bacon fat and add bacon cracklings, add some corn. You’re the boss.

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 425º F. Put cast iron (bout 9" is good) skillet in the preheated oven. If you don’t have a skillet, use an 8x8 (metal) baking dish, and wait until just a few minutes before baking to preheat the baking dish.

1.   Sour the milk by adding 2 Tbsp. of vinegar to the milk. (This can be done a day in advance, covered and kept in the fridge.)

2.   In a medium bowl, whisk together the Masa Harina De Maiz, cornmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

3.   In a large bowl, beat the eggs well.

4.   Add the oil (or butter) and blend.

5.   Beat in the sugar.

6.   Add the soured milk to the egg mixture and mix well.

7.   Add dry ingredients and mix lightly, until just incorporated.

8.   Remove preheated skillet or baking dish from the oven and add oil or butter to coat the pan. Then, add the batter to the pan and return to oven. Bake until set and golden.

Baking time will vary from oven to oven, but figure approximately 15-25 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.