* Exported from MasterCook *
Cornbread, Elmer's
Recipe By : Stacey Little
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Bread Bread-Bakers Mailing List
Cast-Iron Skillet Grains
Hand Made Low Fat
Posted
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 teaspoons vegetable oil -- or shortening
1 large egg
1 tablespoon mayonnaise -- real, heaping
2 cups cornmeal -- self-rising
1 tablespoon sugar -- optional
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup water
Now, I'm a big proponent of capturing family recipes while you can.
In the south, old school cooks rarely use recipes, so I think it's
super important to take the time to sit down with your parents,
grandparents, even great-grandparents when you can, and write down
those old recipes - much like I did with my cookbook. Doing this not
only captures those recipes, but also the memories associated with
them for future generations.
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Preheat the oven to 425F. Add 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil or
shortening to an 8" cast iron skillet and place it in the oven to
preheat while the oven preheats. (If your oven preheats quickly, you
might want to leave the skillet in the oven to heat for at least 5
minutes once it's reached the target temp to allow the skillet to
heat through. This is what gives the cornbread its thick, dark brown
outer crust.)
In a large bowl, whisk the egg and mayo together. Add the corn meal,
sugar, buttermilk, and water and mix together until the batter is smooth.
Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and rotate it to
ensure the oil has coated the entire bottom of the skillet. Pour the
batter into the skillet, being cautious as the hot oil can splatter a
bit. You'll know the skillet is prepheated enough if the batter
sizzles when you pour it in. Return the skillet to the oven and bake
for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. You can also turn the
oven on low broil for 2 to 3 minutes if you like the top really brown.
Remove from the oven and immediately invert to remove the cornbread
from the skillet. If left in the skillet, the bottom will lose its
crisp, crunchy crust. Serve warm.
Notes: Don't have self-rising cornmeal? Try this...For every 1 cup of
self-rising cornmeal: Start with 1 cup of finely ground plain corn
meal in a bowl. Remove 1 tablespoon of the cornmeal and return it to
the bag. To the bowl add 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon
salt. Mix together.
Question: This is pretty much a typical recipe for southern cornbread
except for the mayonnaise. You do not address this in your narrative
and I was wondering what the mayonnaise does for the cornbread, what
is the purpose of adding the additional calories?
Response: Since mayo is an emulsion of oil and eggs, it provides
moisture and a little extra lift and binder for the cornbread. Hope that helps!
Question: I'm curious as to why lowfat or nonfat buttermilk was
considered more traditional than whole buttermilk? I would have
thought it would be the other way around?
Response: So, real buttermilk was the byproduct of churning butter.
After the fats all combine to form butter, the liquid left over is
buttermilk. And as a result of this process, buttermilk is nearly fat
free (because all the fat is in the butter). Today's buttermilk is
cultured. That means it's not the result of actual butter making and
rather is made by adding a live culture to it - much like yogurt. All
of this to say, most old school recipes that call for buttermilk were
created assuming the buttermilk would be real buttermilk and therefor
nearly fat free or very low fat. Either will work in this recipe but
I imagine that the low fat or nonfat buttermilk is much easier to
find - at least it is here.
Review: Hello my Southern Brother from another Mother!
As I read your comment about low-fat and fat-free buttermilk, it
reminded me of when I was a child and my parents used a gallon of
skim or 2% milk to make their own buttermilk. When my Dad saw the
buttermilk in the fridge was getting low, he'd reserve a cup of it to
use as a "starter" for the next gallon. I saw the jug sitting in the
corner, close to the wall, on the counter top at least overnight. It
would get tested by my Mom the next day and it sat there until it was
thick. Through the years I've used both kinds of buttermilk and can't
taste much, if any, difference. Both are good! As for mayonnaise,
it's uses are many and can be used in cakes as well. If I'm out of an
oil for a bread/cake recipe, mayo would be my choice to avoid going
to the grocery store...and that's a good thing, as Martha Stewart
would say. A salute to cornbread & buttermilk!
Your Southern Sister from a different Mister.
Source:
"Southern Bite"
S(Internet address):
https://southernbite.com/elmers-cornbread/
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 176 Calories; 4g Fat (20.9%
calories from fat); 5g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber;
28mg Cholesterol; 52mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0
Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
NOTES : 2021 - 0112