Cornbread recipe

Gatekeeper Buttermilk Cornbread

Barbara Morgan’s recipe with a couple of Mark Morgan’s variations

Dry Ingredients

·        1 ½ c  corn meal (white or yellow)  I prefer white or mixed, but some prefer yellow.

·        1c  flour (unsifted)

·        2 heaping TBSP of baking powder

·        ¼ tsp  baking soda

·        2 tsp salt

·        2-3 TBSP sugar (I like less sugar, since this is a savory cornbread for beans, etc. and not a dessert cornbread cake such as Marie Callender’s style).

Wet Ingredients

·        2 or 3 eggs (I like to substitute the third egg with about a ¼ c of heavy cream)

·        2 c  buttermilk

·        2 tsp vanilla extract (be sure and use pure extract, not imitation flavor)  This is a slight variation that I have added to the recipe.

 Whisk the eggs and buttermilk and vanilla together…I don’t like using a mixer for this.

 Cooking Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425° 

Put 4 slightly heaping TBSP of Crisco in a 9X12 baking pan (glass or disposable aluminum).  Put the pan with the Crisco (lard is a great if you want to use it) in the oven as it is pre-heating.  When the oven gets to temp, the oil will be very hot.  Be very careful not to splash the hot oil when removing the pan from the oven.  Fold your dry and wet ingredients together just before pouring them into your pre-heated pan and hot oil.  If you do this too soon, the batter tends to get too dry.  Add a bit more buttermilk if the batter seems too stiff.  Bake for 20 min. or slightly longer, until the edges are a crispy golden brown and the top is beginning to slightly brown.  Be careful not to over bake.  Test with a toothpick.

 You should have a “can’t fail” cornbread that is very crispy on the edges, moist in the center and is excellent with meals such as ham & beans, chili, etc.

Things political

Tomorrow it will all be over...or will it? It strikes me that political campaigns are like the Tournament of Roses Parade....on Jan 2nd, they immediately start planning and working on the next parade. I wish either candidate for president was as good as their strongest supporters claim they are, and I am extremely thankful that neither candidate is as evil as their worst critics accuse them of being. REMEMBER: no matter who happens to gets the brass ring, how you speak about others and treat others (those running for an office and those voting for them) still matters. It is an indication of YOUR character, not those on your official ballot, nor the ones voting for them.

The Gatekeeper