Honey Porter Cornbread

11.12.14

This is my favorite recipe for cornbread because it’s perfect as is. The crumb is moist and tender, the corn flavor is pronounced without being overly prominent, and there’s just the right amount of honey kissed sweetness. That said, it also makes a fantastic base recipe for an endless list of mix-in’s.

One of my favorite variations is a bacon, jalapeño, cheddar cornbread. The added ingredients result in a slightly smokey cornbread with a mild heat and lots of flavor. Check out the notes following the recipe for more details! I’m also a fan of sausage, roasted red pepper, and green onions. For a sweet variation, fresh corn kernels and blueberries with an extra tablespoon of honey go incredibly well together. As do dried cranberries and chopped walnuts.

There are just a few small things to keep in mind when adding additional ingredients: don’t add more than 1-cup, it may need an additional 5 to 7 minutes in the oven, and any meat should be fully cooked before mixing into the batter. Other than that, you should be set!

Let me know in the comments what your favorite mix-in’s are! I’m always looking for new flavor combinations and can’t get enough cornbread during the Fall.

Cornbread in picture was made with white cornmeal.

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour. 

Ingredients

• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cornmeal (white or yellow)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup porter
• 3 to 4 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and cooled slightly
• 1 large egg, room temperature

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Grease a 9×5″ loaf pan, 9″ baking pan, or muffin tin with butter and set aside.
3. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, porter, honey, melted butter, and egg.
5. Pour the liquid into the flour mixture, stirring quickly until just combined.
6. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake on center rack for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges just begin to pull away from the side of the pan and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Remove cornbread from the oven and cool on a rack for 5 minutes before cutting; serve warm with honey butter (recipe below) or with a large bowl of chili.

Honey Butter

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon salt

Whisk butter until light and fluffy; add honey and salt; whisk until smooth. Serve at room temperature. Can be wrapped and stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Bacon, Jalapeño, Cheddar Cornbread

Cook 2 strips of bacon in a 9″ oven-proof skillet until crispy; transfer cooked bacon to a plate lined with papertowels to drain and set aside skillet with bacon fat (do not discard!). When cool enough to handle, chop or crumble bacon into small pieces. Add bacon, 1/4 cup freshly chopped jalapenos, and 1/2 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar to the cornbread batter, mixing until combined. Use a papertowel to full cover sides and bottom of skillet with bacon fat. Spread batter evenly in the skillet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Tags: baking with beer • cooking with beer • cornbread • craft beer • honey • honey butter • porter • white cornmeal

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