Brown Butter Skillet Cornbread

I hate to admit it, but I often use the quick Trader Joe’s cornbread mix when we want cornbread as a side. It is sweet and cake-like and yummy. But… My South Carolina-raised husband and I know that this barely sweetened skillet cornbread is the “real deal” southern cornbread. COMPLETELY different from a box mix. The crust was crunchy and buttery; the inside moist and tender- delicious!! The entire kitchen filled with the wonderful smell of nutty browned butter as it baked too. 🙂

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Melissa Clark. The recipe makes a GIGANTIC 12-inch skillet (almost) filled to the rim with cornbread. We ate it with Vegetarian Chili with Winter Vegetables and a green salad but had plenty of leftovers for breakfast. The leftover cornbread was wonderful reheated in a toaster oven- and buttered. We also slathered it with homemade Peach-Vanilla Bean Jam. YUM!

Yield: One 12-inch skillet cornbread (or 9×13-inch), about 12 servings (1/2 the recipe could be made in a 9-inch skillet)

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks)/170 grams unsalted butter
• ½ cup/120 ml maple syrup
• 2 ¼ cups/530 ml buttermilk
• 3 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups/180 grams yellow cornmeal, fine or medium-coarse grind
• ½ cup/65 grams whole wheat flour
• ½ cup/60 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tablespoons/18 grams baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons/9 grams kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon/5 grams baking soda

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees (on convection).
2. On the stovetop, in a 11- or 12-inch skillet (ovenproof and preferably cast iron), melt the butter over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan to lightly coat sides and bottom, until the foam subsides and the butter turns a deep nut brown. (Watch carefully to see that it does not burn.)(As it is difficult to assess the color in a dark pan, I checked the color in a teaspoon!)
3. Pour brown butter into a large bowl. (Do not wipe out the pan.)
4. Whisk the maple syrup into the butter, then whisk in buttermilk. The mixture should be cool to the touch; if not, let cool before whisking in the eggs.
5. Then whisk in the cornmeal, flours, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
6. If the skillet is no longer hot (cast iron retains heat longer than other metals), reheat it briefly on the stove for a few minutes. Scrape batter back into it.
7. Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into it emerges clean, about 25 minutes (on convection), or up to 30 to 40 minutes in a standard oven. Cool in the skillet for 10 minutes before slicing.

One Year Ago:

• Low-Fat Oat & Whole Wheat Buttermilk Waffles

Two Years Ago:

• Cornmeal Cookies
• Blueberry Cornmeal Muffins
• Whole Wheat Cinnamon Snacking Cake

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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