Is This the Best Cornbread Recipe Ever?

Yahoo Food
Updated

The Southern Living Test Kitchen granted the “perfect” moniker to Ben Mim’s cornbread recipe, thanks to the extra flavor and superior texture his browned butter affords. This recipe and Cornbread Pudding with Whiskey Caramel are two of the many treasures in Ben’s fresh new cookbook, Sweet & Southern: Classic Desserts with a Twist.

Ben Mim’s Perfect Cornbread

Ingredients
1 cup plain yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
½ cup butter

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Whisk together first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together buttermilk and eggs; stir into cornmeal mixture just until combined. Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it just begins to smoke. Add butter, and stir until butter is melted. Stir melted butter into cornbread batter. Pour batter into hot skillet.
2. Bake at 425° for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and cornbread pulls away from sides of skillet. Invert cornbread onto a wire rack; serve warm.

Makes 8 to 10 servings. Hands-on 20 min., Total 55 min.

See More: Savory Cornbread Recipes

Cornbread Pudding with Whiskey Caramel

Ingredients
Vegetable cooking spray
Ben Mims’ Perfect Cornbread, at room temperature
½ cup butter
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1½ tsp. kosher salt
5 large eggs
Whiskey Caramel

Preparation 
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 3-qt. baking dish with cooking spray. Cut cornbread into 2- to 3-inch pieces, and place in prepared dish. (You should have about 10 cups cornbread.) Cook butter in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter begins to turn golden brown. Remove pan from heat, and whisk in milk and next 3 ingredients until sugar melts. Whisk in eggs; pour mixture over cornbread. Let stand 10 minutes.
2. Bake, covered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 30 more minutes or until light brown and set. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve with Whiskey Caramel.

Makes 8 to 10 servings. Hands-on 15 min.; Total 3 hours, including cornbread and sauce

Whiskey Caramel

Preparation
Stir together 1 cup sugar and ¼ cup water in a saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, 3 minutes or until sugar melts. Cook, without stirring, 10 minutes or until medium amber in color. Remove from heat, and stir in ½ cup heavy cream; ½ cup butter, cubed; ¼ cup whiskey; ¼ tsp. kosher salt; and ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg. Whisk together 1 large egg and ½ cup sugar in a heatproof medium bowl; slowly whisk caramel sauce into egg mixture. Return mixture to saucepan, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until thickened.

See More: 28 Caramel Dessert Recipes

Parmesan-Herb Cornbread Pudding
Need a winning side dish? Try our Test Kitchen’s savory spin on Ben Mims’ sweet recipe.

Prepare Cornbread Pudding with Whiskey Caramel, omitting vanilla and Whiskey Caramel. Reduce sugar to 2 Tbsp., and cook 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves with butter in Step 2. Sprinkle 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese over cornbread just before baking.

Makes 8 to 10 servings. Hands-on 15 min.; Total 2 hours, 30 min., including cornbread

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