Kate’s Blue Cornbread

20 minutes prep 40 minutes active cooking 1 hour total

Makes 12 servings

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Tender and just the right amount of sweet. “This cornbread is my go to anytime I'm considering cornbread,” says pie diva Kate McMillen from Lauretta Jean’s.

Anthocyanins give blue corn it’s vivid color, and the acid in the buttermilk prevents that color from fading to an unappealing gray (the same trick works with vegetables like red cabbage; add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice to keep the color bright).

What You'll Need

Ingredients

For the shopping list

3 cups of buttermilk
1 1/3 cups of all purpose flour
2 tablespoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

From our shop

8 ounces of Beurre de Baratte - Salted Butter
$13.00– Jura - France

2 cups of Peace, No War Cornmeal
$9.00– Gaston - Oregon

2/3 cup of 100% Pure Maple Syrup
$21.50– Arkville - New York

4 Eggs - Farm Fresh
$8.50– Cloverdale - Oregon

2 teaspoons of Sea Salt Flakes
$16.00– Gossen Island - Norway

Equipment

From the kitchen

12-14 inch cast iron skillet (or 2 smaller cast iron skillets)
heat proof mixing bowl
mixing bowl
whisk
measuring cups
measuring spoons

What you'll have to do

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375º.

Heat a cast iron pan over medium low heat. Add 8 ounces of butter, and let it melt and sizzle (that’s the water evaporating) until it starts to foam and you see small clumps of milk solids forming. Stir regularly to keep the solids from burning for about 5 minutes or until the butter is nicely browned (lift out spoonfuls of butter to check the color). Remove from the heat and pour into a heat safe bowl.

Step 2

While the butter cools, in a separate bowl combine 2 cups of cornmeal, 1 1/3 cup of flour, 2 tablespoons of baking powder, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.

Step 3

Add 2/3 cup of maple syrup and 3 cups of buttermilk to the butter (the buttermilk will cool the butter enough to be able to add the eggs without scrambling them); whisk thoroughly, then beat in 4 eggs.

Step 4

Mix the wet and dry ingredients together, stirring just enough to blend completely. Too much stirring can make the crumb a bit tough.

Step 5

If the cast iron is no longer hot, reheat it for a moment in the oven or on a burner then carefully add the batter to the hot skillet. Bake for about 40 minutes; the cornbread should spring back when pressed.