Zucchini Cornbread

 

Well, it’s that time of year. Time to go back to school. Time to think about winding down the summer activities. Time to figure out how to cram all that zucchini with which you’ve found yourself into something, anything. To test the concept that just about any baked goods can be made to accept a healthy dose of shredded zucchini, I tried it in cornbread. Not bad, I must say.

 

This cornbread, which is based on the buttermilk cornbread in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone and a zucchini cornbread loaf in Bon Appetit magazine, is very moist, but not mushy. (I’ve found that such is the trick with zucchini additions.) It tastes like good cornbread, with just that little bit of vegetable flavor from the zucchini.

 

I really like to bake my cornbread in a cast iron skillet. It tends to bake quickly and evenly while still getting nice brown and crunchy edges. This cornbread, for all its extra moisture, was no exception. I added a little spice in the form of cumin and chili powder to perk up the usually bland zucchini, and the buttermilk gives it just a bit of tanginess.

This is a savory cornbread with very little sweetener (just 2 tablespoons of honey). I’m sure you could make this a sweet cornbread by simply increasing the honey. As it is, this moist, savory cornbread is a good accompaniment for a saucy, spicy chili. Or the simple corn and bean skillet pasta dish that I made recently. More on that soon.

Shortly after I made this cornbread, a kind neighbor gave me a very large zucchini, so I think I’ll be stuffing zucchini into even more dishes. Luckily I have a good handful of proven ideas!

Zucchini Skillet Cornbread

Based on recipes in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison and Bon Appetit

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup stone-ground cornmeal

1 teaspoon powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons honey

10 ounces shredded zucchini (from about 1 medium-size zucchini)

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. While the oven is heating, place the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet and place it in the oven. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, cumin, chili powder and salt. Whisk to combine well. Set aside.

2. In a medium-size bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a whisk. When the butter in the skillet has melted, brush it all over the bottom and sides of the pan. Gradually whisk the remaining butter into the eggs. Whisk in the buttermilk and honey until well-blended. Stir in the zucchini.

3. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Stir until just combined and all of the dry ingredients are moistened. Pour into the buttered skillet and spread the batter out evenly.

4. Bake at 375 F for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with no moist batter clinging to it. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan. Slice and serve warm from the pan or cool completely.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Other recipes like this one: Zucchini Buttermilk Bread with Pecans, Blueberry Thyme Cornbread, Cranberry Walnut Cornbread

Blueberry Thyme Cornbread

 

I think I have at least one recipe stashed away somewhere in what at some level is an organized fashion for a blueberry cornbread. It’s really the idea that I wanted to hang onto, however, since I’m very happy with the basic cornbread recipe I use (and occasionally vary slightly) from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison. All I needed to do was add some blueberries to my favorite cornbread and I would probably have something good.

I wanted this cornbread to be something I could serve as part as supper, an accompaniment to a savory meal (first, beans and rice, and then the leftovers with black bean soup), so I didn’t want something sweet enough to be confused with cake. At the same time, I wanted the blueberries in a batter that had a little sweetness, so I used a bit more honey than I usually do to make cornbread. Also, to make a little bridge back to savory, I added some fresh thyme leaves.

 

I was pretty excited at how successful this cornbread recipe was. I quite liked the blueberries with the cornmeal and the combination of thyme and blueberries was especially delicious. I admit that, even though I put the thyme in the cornbread myself, its bright, herbal taste was a pleasant surprise. Usually, I’d go for sweet spices like cinnamon and cloves with blueberries, but the thyme was great as both a compliment and a contrast to the fruity blueberries.

I particularly like to use a cast-iron skillet to make cornbread of any kind. I love the way it makes delightfully brown and crunchy edges. Using Madison’s method of preheating the pan and greasing it by melting some of the butter for the recipe in the process, then brushing it up the sides of the pan, helps to create those delicious edges. I like to use a good-quality stone-ground cornmeal for great flavor and a pleasant, slightly crumbly texture. I also highly recommend using whole wheat pastry flour along with the cornmeal for a more complex but still delicate grain flavor, but all-purpose flour could be used instead.

 

This Blueberry Thyme Cornbread was great in its intended place as part of supper rather than dessert. Of course, making this blueberry cake or adding blueberries to this yogurt cake might be just as nice and easy if you do happen to be looking for dessert. There are lots of blueberries out there, so I hope you find someplace you love to feature them.

Blueberry Thyme Cornbread

Based on a recipe in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

6 tablespoons butter, divided

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 eggs

¼ cup honey

1 cup milk

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Place 2 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Place in the oven to melt. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan. Set aside to cool slightly.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium-size bowl, combine the cornmeal, whole wheat pastry flour, salt, and baking powder. Whisk or sift to combine well. Set aside.

3. In a medium-size bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a whisk. Whisk in the 4 tablespoons melted butter. Whisk in the honey and the milk until well combined.

4. Pour the egg mixture into the cornmeal mixture and stir until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Stir in the blueberries and thyme.

5. Remove the skillet with the butter from the oven. Brush the melted butter all over the inside of the skillet. Pour any excess butter into the batter and stir in.

6. Pour the batter into the skillet. Place the skillet back into the oven and bake at 425 F for about 20 minutes or until golden brown along the edges and a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cornbread comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

Makes about 8 servings. The cornbread is best the day it is made, but leftovers are still good stored in a zip-top bag and warmed in a microwave.

Other recipes like this one: Cranberry Walnut Cornbread, Blueberry Muffin Cake with Crumb Topping

One year ago: Chocolate Mint Ice Cream with Andes Mints

Cranberry Cornbread

Even though I’m not quite done putting winter squash and apples into everything I cook or bake, it’s now time to put cranberries into everything, too. So, say I’m serving chili on a rainy Sunday afternoon while we watch football. Well, here’s a Cranberry Walnut Cornbread recipe from The Best Quick Breads by Beth Hensperger to serve alongside it.

Normally, I’m not all that fired up about accompanying my spicy-savory eats with something sweet, but this cornbread works. The cranberries are tart and tangy and there’s no doubt that it’s cornbread, which is contractually obligated to compliment a bowl of chili. It is a little sweet, but not so much so that you’ll think you’ve been served your dessert early.

The original recipe called for baking this in a loaf pan, and I’ve done that several times and been very happy. I really like to make cornbread in a cast iron skillet, however, and decided to try this recipe that way, too. Not only does it take cornbread less time to bake when the batter is spread out in the skillet, but it also develops wonderful crunchy brown edges. These edges are sturdy and make a nice handle for picking up a wedge of bread and dunking it point-first into some spicy chili (or winter squash soup!). They’re not just for handling, though, since those crispy, caramelized bits are super-delicious too.

I borrowed this skillet baking method from the cornbread recipe in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison. I particularly like the technique of preheating the cast iron pan with some of the butter, which not only heats the pan, helping to create those coveted crunchy edges, but also provides an instant greasing of the pan. I just brush the melted butter all over the pan before pouring in the batter. There’s usually a bit of a pool of butter around the edges, even after the excess butter is poured into the batter, and I think that contributes to the brownness and crunchiness of the cornbread edges as well. Did I mention that I like the brown and crunchy edges?

While I’m plugging this as an accompaniment to a savory, steamy bowl of something good, its sweetness is quite satisfying on its own. I’ve had a wedge of it for breakfast, and I definitely wouldn’t turn my nose up at a chunk of it alongside my afternoon coffee or tea…even though those wonderfully crispy edges tend to soften when the cornbread is stored and reheated.


Cranberry Walnut Cornbread
Adapted from The Best Quick Breads by Beth Hensperger

You can bake this cornbread in a loaf pan, but increase the baking time to 35-40 minutes.

6 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup yellow cornmeal (I used stone-ground)
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. While the oven is preheating, place 2 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Put the skillet in the oven to preheat it and melt the butter.

2. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and set aside to cool slightly.

3. In a medium-size bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, brown sugar, salt and baking soda. Stir together with a whisk until well combined.

4. In another medium-size bowl, beat the eggs. Whisk in the melted butter. Remove the preheating skillet from the oven. Brush the 2 tablespoons of butter that was melted in the skillet all over the bottom and up the sides of the skillet. Pour any extra into the egg mixture and whisk it in. Set the skillet aside.

5. Whisk the buttermilk into the egg mixture. Pour this liquid mixture into the cornmeal mixture. Stir together until just combined. Stir in the cranberries and walnuts.

6. Pour the batter into the cast iron skillet. Bake at 425 F for about 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm from the skillet

Makes about 8 servings. Leftovers can be stored in a zip-top bag for a day or two, but may dry out quickly. Refresh leftovers in the microwave.

Other recipes like this one: Pecan Cornbread with Bourbon, Coconut Cranberry Quick Bread

One year ago: Pecan Cornbread with Bourbon (It looks like I always make cornbread this time of year!)

Two years ago: Roasted Winter Squash Puree

Pecan Cornbread

While I made a plain cornbread with the first servings of Squash and Pinto Bean Chili, when I served the leftovers, I wanted to try something different that would hopefully match the sweetness of the chili. I set out to make a bourbon-molasses cornbread with pecans, but the resulting bread was distinctly dominated by the pecans…Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

I began this recipe with my favorite cornbread recipe in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison. I’ve been using an organic stone-ground cornmeal from a local mill, which is quite lovely. It actually tastes like corn. Go figure. Anyway, my usual cornbread is also good with more standard and easily available commercial brands of cornmeal, so you could use that, too. Also, instead of white, all-purpose flour I use whole wheat pastry flour, which not only boosts the WFQ* of the cornbread, but makes it taste great. I veered away from the original recipe by using molasses instead of honey to lightly sweeten the cornbread as well as give it a bit of that distinctive molasses flavor that I thought would go well with the chopped pecans.

The bourbon was for an extra little flavor boost. It was indeed subtle in the final product, but interesting nonetheless. Its flavor comes out best in a bite of warm cornbread. In fact, it really isn’t exactly a flavor, but more of an aroma for the tongue. Like the taste buds are picking up the molecules of toasty oak, caramel and alcohol that are wafting in with the bite of baked corn and wheat and eggs and milk. Subtle, but interesting.

Since the molasses flavor is not very strong, the pecans ended up being the favorite characters. They’re sweet and nutty and make the bread chunky and bumpy and crunchy, definitely a good accompaniment to the soft, sweet and earthy ingredients in the Squash and Pinto Bean Chili.

As usual, this cornbread is best the day it is made, preferably while it is still warm. The leftovers can be reheated and are still pretty good, but the bread does dry out quickly. I recommend that, if at all possible, you use a cast-iron skillet to make this or any cornbread. It will distribute the heat evenly and give you the nicest brown and crunchy edges. Baking cornbread in any other vessel just isn’t the same. You wouldn’t have to use the bourbon in this recipe if you don’t care to. I think another form of whiskey or rum might be good, or you can leave it out entirely.

*WFQ: Whole Food Quotient

Pecan Cornbread with Bourbon
Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison.

You could use all-purpose flour instead of whole wheat pastry flour.

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
½ teaspoon fine salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
2 tablespoons molasses
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons bourbon whiskey (optional)
1 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Place 1 tablespoon butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet (or 8-inch square baking pan) and place in the oven. When the butter has melted, remove the pan from the oven and brush the bottom and sides of the pan with the melted butter.

2. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, salt and baking powder. Whisk or sift to combine. Set aside.

4. Beat the eggs in another medium bowl. Add the melted butter and whisk well to combine. Add the molasses, milk and bourbon and whisk to combine.

5. Add the egg mixture to the cornmeal mixture and stir until just a few dry spots remain. Add the pecans and stir gently to distribute evenly.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 425 F for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are brown and pull slightly away from the sides of the pan. If desired, you can test for doneness by poking a wooden pick into the center of the cornbread. If it comes out free of wet batter, it is done. Cut into wedges (or squares) and serve warm.

Makes about 6 servings.

Other recipes like this one: Pumpkin Oatmeal Quick Bread with Dates and Pecans, Guinness Hazelnut Quick Bread

One year ago: Roasted Winter Squash Puree