From EatingWell: November/December 2012
10 servings | Active Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes
Native Americans were making bread-type foods from corn meal long before the arrival of Europeans in the New World. When European settlers arrived in the Americas, they learned Native American recipes for using ground corn. Thus, cornmeal became a popular staple of American cuisine and remains so, particularly in the South. This creative recipe turns a traditional southern food into a healthier, sweeter option that is delightfully festive and seasonal. Cranberries have an incredibly high antioxidant capacity, and add a tart, sweet bite to this textured bread. Additional tips are added below for altering the recipe to suit requirements of those following whole grain or gluten free diets.
Cranberry Cornbread
Ingredients:
- 2 cups fine whole-grain cornmeal (see tips)
- 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or white whole-wheat flour (see tips)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
- 3/4 cup fresh cranberries, rinsed and patted dry, or frozen (not thawed)
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Coat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet (or 9-inch metal cake pan) with cooking spray.
- Set aside 2 tablespoons cornmeal in a small bowl.
- Whisk the remaining cornmeal, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
- Lightly whisk eggs in a medium bowl, then whisk in buttermilk, oil, honey and orange zest until smooth.
- Make a well in the center of the dry mixture.
- Pour in the wet ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not overmix; the batter should look lumpy.
- Toss fresh and dried cranberries with the reserved cornmeal. (This will prevent the fruit from sinking to the bottom during baking.)
- Gently fold the cranberries and cornmeal into the batter.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared skillet (or pan).
- Bake the cornbread until the edges turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted
into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 25 to 30 minutes. - Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting into wedges.
- Serve warm.
Tips & Notes:
Whole-grain cornmeal (with the nutritious germ and fiber-rich bran left intact) is increasingly available in well-stocked supermarkets. Look for “whole grain” on the label. For this recipe, we recommend using “fine” whole-grain cornmeal.- Bake with white whole-wheat flour, made from a special variety of white wheat, and whole-wheat pastry flour, milled from soft wheat and containing less gluten. Both provide the nutritional benefits of whole grains. Find them in large supermarkets, natural-foods stores and online at bobsredmill.com and kingarthurflour.com. Store in the freezer.
- To Make It Gluten-Free: Use a gluten-free flour blend in place of the whole-wheat flour.
