~My Mother's Cornbread~

Yesterday I shared with you a recipe for Creamy Chicken and Noodles.  Homemade cornbread was a must to serve with this dish and I promised to share with you my recipe entitled My Mother's Cornbread.  This isn't my mother's recipe.  All of her cornbread came from a box.  Jiffy Cornbread Mix.

Years ago, many years ago, Mr. Bill and I lived in Freeport, Illinois.  I don't remember how I came across this cookbook but I wanted to buy it as it was one that was put together by the ladies in Freeport.  Many of them were recipes that had been passed down thru generations.  There had to be alot of good recipes in there.  I must think so.  Several of my favorite recipes come from this book.  As you can see, this cookbook is well worn.  It was not only one of the very first in my collection but it became my Bible of cookbooks.  My first child was very small at the time.  It was 1976.

The cover is gone and even a few of the pages have come out.  I have tried to save them.  I guess I need to put them in some kind of binder before losing them.  Having never made homemade cornbread before, I tried several different recipes.  You can see some of the notations I made in the first photo.  I try to do that when trying a new recipe.  Make a notation of what I thought about the recipe and whether or not it was worth keeping.  After trying several, this one became my favorite.  It is the only recipe I use for making cornbread and it has never failed me in all the years that I have placed it on the dinner table.  Thank you, Lucy...whoever you are...for sharing this recipe.

List of ingredients:

• 1-1/4 cups of flour
• 3/4 cup of cornmeal (I like the coarse ground to give a better texture)
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 beaten egg
• 3 Tbsp. melted butter

The combination of flour and cornmeal gives a softer texture.  The addition of sugar gives it a bit of a sweet taste.  Sift together all dry ingredients in a medium bowl.  Pour in milk and beaten egg mixing until well blended.  Stir in melted butter.

Pour into a greased 8- or 9-inch pan.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes until nicely browned.  The cracks in the top shows that it is nice and done.  Let it set for about 10 minutes before cutting.  Doing so allows the cornbread to bond together and not being so crumbly when you cut pieces.  Did you know that?

Look at all that goodness!  Can you see the softer texture in the cornbread?   In that, I mean that it's not too coarse, which can happen if you use only cornmeal.  If you prefer the coarse texture, you can still use this recipe by using all cornmeal and no flour.  I have done that but prefer the softness the flour gives.

Cut yourself a piece while it's still warm and slather on some butter.  Watch it melt and dig in!  I always find myself having at least two pieces.  Did you notice?  I said "at least" two pieces.  That could mean two and maybe even more.  But I'm not telling.  I don't want you to know how much of a pig I can be! :)

This cornbread is so good with soups of any type or chili and even pot roasts.  I promise that you'll really, REALLY like it.  Having served it for all these years is testimony to how much my family enjoys it.  I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we do.  Click My Mother's Cornbread for the recipe.

Quote for the day ~ "Autumn is a season followed immediately by looking forward to Spring." ~

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