Emaw's Cornbread

riffraff's Note:

This is my mother's cornbread recipe. She uses a cast iron skillet which produces a beautiful crust. This is not sweet cakelike cornbread but authentic Southern cornbread that we eat with a big pot of beans or peas and she uses it for her Cornbread Dressing which is also posted on this site.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Yield: 9 cups

• 3 cups cornmeal (as course a grind as possible)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups milk (she calls it sweet milk, meaning not buttermilk)
• 2 teaspoons canola oil or 2 teaspoons bacon drippings

Directions:

1. Heat 8 inch cast iron skillet in 400 degree oven with oil or drippings in it.
2. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl.
3. When skillet is good and hot remove from oven and pour in cornbread.
4. It should sizzle good.
5. Cook at 400 for 45 minutes to an hour.
6. Turn out on rack to cool.
7. Bottom should have a lovely crust.

Reviews

[Marsha D.]

Fabulous recipe!! I had no problems whats so ever.I did had about 1/4cup of sugar to the mixture. We like it alittle sweet. My cornbread was just perfect and DH was very happy. I used bacon grease in the bottom of my cast iron skillet and it made for one mighty fine cornbread. Thanks so much for sharing Emaw's recipe!!

[jp mims]

Just like the cornbread my Grandma use to make. I made half the recipe and baked it in an 8-inch round cake pan for 30 minutes(don't have a good seasoned cast iron skillet). I've fixed this two times now and rewrote the recipe into my handwritten recipe book to reflect the ingredients for half the recipe. I would agree about it being an authentic southern cornbread! Thanks for sharing.

[poodlebone]

I'd been dying for cornbread that wasn't sweet and actually bought a cast iron skillet just to make some. This recipe made too much batter to fit in my 8" skillet, and I managed to make a big mess just filling the pan. Unlike someone else's review, I kept mine in for the full hour and it did not burn. While it was very easy to make, the taste was only so-so. The fact that I lost a lot of batter filling the pan (and had to dump the rest down the drain) might have something to do with it. I might try this again in a bigger skillet and see if I have better results.