Grandma’s Cornbread

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This was and still is one of my favorite recipes.  My grandma Cordie made this along with a big pot of pinto beans so many times during my childhood that I thought it was what everyone ate on a regular basis.   I would eat this every time I went to their house.  I don’t think there was ever a time I went there and didn’t find cornbread and beans waiting.  My aunt Carol and I used to have a small jar of black raspberry jelly hid in the refrigerator that we would retrieve and smear all over a piece of hot corn bread just at grandma took it from the oven.  The outside crust was my favorite.  We would sometimes fight over it until we’d here grandpa yell for us to settle down.  Now when that man said something you listened, and we did.

First of all let me explain one thing.  You have to make this in a Cast Iron Skillet.  If you don’t have one, GET ONE.  As all my friends know, I love my cast iron, I have more than you would believe, I don’t think cornbread can taste the same or has the same crusty outer ring when made with another pan. The eggs are the key ingredient that will make your cornbread rise and be nice and fluffy.  Oh!  Just for y’alls information, we don’t put sugar in our cornbread.  As grandpa used to say, “if I wanted sweet bread, I’d have mommy make me a cake.”  So y’all will never see me put sugar in my cornbread.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of self-rising cornmeal
• 1/2 cup of flour
• 1/3 cup of Crisco (or bacon grease if you have it)
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 cup of  of Buttermilk (maybe more or less, make it consistency of thick pancake batter.)
• 1/2 stick melted butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch cast iron skillet with either shortening or bacon grease and place in the oven while it preheats. I like to put an extra 2-3 tbs. of shortening in the skillet, it kind of crisps up the side of the  cornbread. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended. Remove the skillet from the oven and pour the batter into your preheated 9-inch cast iron skillet. Bake until golden brown, about 30 –40 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool on rack.