Corn Bread, with Jalapeño

Originally posted on March 14, 2006.

I have always loved corn bread, and recently watched Emeril^™ make it a little different on his TV show.. He used jalapeño pepper in it, BAM! I knew I had to try this.

He doesn’t usually give a lot of measurements and all that, so I modified a couple of other recipes. Then I added in the jalapeño pepper, the whole reason for doing this.

Basic Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450° (use an oven thermometer!)
2. Combine dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, corn meal, baking powder, salt and sugar).
3. Mix together milk and egg, and add to dry ingredients.
4. Add oil (or shortening) and mix well.
5. Chop jalapeño pepper and mix into batter.
6. Place in well seasoned cast iron skillet, and into preheated oven.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Let cool for a while on a cooling rack.

Now onto the pictures for the rest! Yay.

Our basic ingredients are some corn meal, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, milk, an egg, vegetable oil and a jalapeño.

Start by adding the salt, sugar and baking soda to the all-purpose flour in a large mixing bowl.

Note: The cute little shot glass measuring cup pictured above is available from Amazon.com for $3.50 and measures ounces, ml, teaspoons and tablespoons.

Then add in the corn meal.

Combine all the dry ingredients together with a whisk, or fork if you don’t have a whisk.

Measure the milk in a measuring cup. Then crack and egg and add it to the milk.

Note: You can beat the egg in a separate bowl, but less dishes to clean is a happy thing for a bachelor!

Add the milk and egg mixture to the dry ingredients.

Mix the whole thing together well.

Add in the vegetable oil (vegetable shortening is also an option here) and mix well again.

Chop up a jalapeño pepper and mix it into the batter. (Although optional, definitely add a jalapeño!)

Note: Most of the “heat” is in the seeds and the white spine inside the jalapeño. If you want more heat leave the white inner spine and even some of the seeds if you want, if not just scrape them out (weenie).

Add the mix into a well seasoned cast iron skillet and bake at 450° for 15 minutes.

Note: You can also bake your corn bread in a normal 8 or 9 inch glass or metal pan if you don’t have a cast iron skillet. But they’re cheap, so pick one up!

Also use an oven thermometer! My oven’s dial was set to 425° but the actual temp on the thermometer was the correct 450°!

You will know it’s done when the top starts to get a little golden and a toothpick or knife comes out clean when you stick it.

You can let it cool in the pan, or remove it to cool on a rack if you want. But allow it to cool a little while before cutting into it. And be careful of the hot skillet!