Sunday, September 2, 2012

Cheesy & Sweet Cornbread

I do realize that I have been putting up a ridiculous amount of corn-centered recipes lately. This is for several reasons:
1. It is probably my mom's absolute favorite quick snack or breakfast treat. Hey, I like it too, so l don't complain about making it all the time.
2. Since my mom found out she has Celiac disease and can't eat gluten, we discovered that cornbread/cake is one if of the easiest things to make. Usually the recipes only take a bit of flour, which can be substituted, and many are naturally gluten-free.
3. Everybody swears that their recipe is the best (this particular one is my aunt's, slightly adapted by me.) Hey, that means we have to try all of them, right? Our problem is that they are all good! One I made last week was moist like a pudding; another recent one was a classic, one you could make for just about any meal or time of day; this one is cheesy and sweet at the same time. So yes, I have a lot of cornbread posts. But they are all worth trying. I promise.

This cornbread comes together in about five minutes- from a counter of ingredients, you are less than an hour away from cheesy goodness. You might think the combination of cheese and sugar doesn't go together, but it does- think of cheesecake. Or just trust me on this one. I promise you'll thank me later.
This isn't dessert, but it's sweet enough to feel like a slightly indulgent snack. It's best eaten warm, when you still have some gooey shreds of cheese to balance out the sugar. Eat it with a cup of coffee for breakfast, with a glass of milk as a snack, or with a big bowl of chili for dinner... You may find it impossible to resist eating large slices of it between meals. Not that I would do that (cough cough). Enjoy! <3
Cheesy & Sweet Cornbread

2 1/2 cups cornmeal
2 cups sugar plus 2 tablespoons
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 eggs
2 cups milk
1 cup oil
1 1/2 cups grated cheese
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 11x17" pan (you can use a 9x13", but it will be thicker.)
Stir together the cornmeal and 2 cups of the sugar in a large bowl. Stir in the cornstarch, baking powder, eggs, milk, oil, and cheese one by one.
Pour into the pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the edges are browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
As soon as it is out of the oven, prick all over with a fork. Spread on the butter so it melts and sprinkle on the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon. Serve warm.

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