Ali Bakes: Custard Cornbread

I try to use my cast iron skillet monthly to prevent rust and maintain the seasoning.  It's a great excuse to find a new recipe and give it a try...and yesterday's adventure involved cornbread (yum!).

Who says you need chili or soup or ANYTHING in order to make cornbread?!  Why not just make cornbread and eat it?!

Well, that's what I did, and it all went pretty splendidly.  The only flaw in my plan was the fact that you can't store leftover food in the cast iron skillet.  So I had to awkwardly move the uneaten cornbread to a pan with a lid...and the delicious custard in the center kinda splooted all over the place.  I did my best to reserve it, but either way, I know that it will still be super moist when reheated.

The original recipe also called for more sugar, but this cornbread was intended for dinnertime, so I cut the sugar in half and added some dill.  (It was a good choice on my part!)

Super simple recipe that left me eager to dig in, since it smelled soooo good while baking!

Custard Cornbread

*adapted from CanellaVita.com

Ingredients:

2 eggs
3 Tbs unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar
1 cup flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup heavy cream

1 Tbs dried dill

Instructions:

 Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Grease/prepare a cast iron skillet, an 8-inch square baking pan, or a 9-inch round pan that is about 2-inches deep.  Put the skillet or pan in the oven and let it get hot while you mix the batter.

Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and add the melted butter.  Beat until the mixture is well blended.  Add the sugar, salt, milk, and vinegar.  Beat well.  In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and dried dill.  Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture.  Mix just until the batter is smooth and no lumps remain.

Pour the batter into the heated dish, then pour the cream into the center of the batter—don’t stir.  Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Serve warm.