The weather has turned cold, deeply cold, the sort of cold that chills you to your bones. Every year it sort of sneaks up on me, one day it’s 75 and sunny, the next I’m staring out the window and flakes of snow start falling from the sky.
Winter is magical, isn’t it? It’s all stark landscapes, bare branches, which are beautiful in their own right, but when that snow falls, everything changes. A winter wonderland, indeed.
What I love most about the change of seasons is the change in the kitchen. Out goes the salads and light fare and in comes the soups and breads, best eaten bowl in hand. Heavier, richer, it’s what I enjoy the most.
Tonight we whipped up some tasty soup and along with it I made up this jalapeno and cheddar cornbread. It’s so delicious and would be perfect with lots of soups and stews!
Cornbread
3/4 cup of all purpose flour
3/4 cup of yellow cornmeal
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup of butter, melted
1 large egg
1 1/4 cup of buttermilk
oil, for greasing your pan
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, optional
1/4 cup diced jalapenos, optional
Turn on your oven to 400 to preheat.
Grease in the inside of a cast iron pan (or cake pan), place in the oven for about 15 minutes, just so it gets hot. Be sure to not let the oil burn.
In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
In another bowl, combine butter, egg and buttermilk.
Pour milk mixture into the flour mixture, along with cheese and jalapenos, if using. Stir lightly, only til just combined. Don’t overwork the batter. If there are a few lumps, that’s fine!
Remove pan from over, carefully. Pour batter into the pan, return to oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
