Using Every Last Drop
The other day, I was commissioned to make a friend his birthday cake. I settled on red velvet, my old standby, but after baking I had at least a cup of buttermilk leftover in the quart-sized container I had purchased. Somehow, it is impossible to find buttermilk in pint-sized containers, so whenever I purchase it for a certain recipe, I find that about 95% of the time, the stuff that’s left ends up rotting in my fridge (and let me tell you, buttermilk that has gone bad is not something fun to dispose of).
This time, however, I vowed that I would not let my buttermilk go to waste. So, I looked in my refrigerator and pantry to see what could be made with my leftover dairy.
Cornmeal. Check.
Flour. Check.
Eggs. Check.
Agave nectar. Check.
An almost-bad jalapeno. Check.
These ingredients could only mean one thing: cornbread. After reading through cookbooks and after an online search, I decided to experiment by combining several recipes that I had found and altering them to use what my pantry provided.
Often, I find that cornbread is overly dry and, after consumption, leaves me yearning for a large glass of milk or water so that I don’t feel like I have cement forming in my gullet. This cornbread, however, is dense, moist, and light. Slightly sweet with a spicy kick, it makes for a perfect accompaniment to chili, Mexican baked beans, or on its own as a snack. Best of all, it takes only a few minutes to prepare.
Super Quick and Moist Buttermilk Cornbread
3 eggs
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 cup flour
2/3 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk*
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 small jalapeno pepper
Grease and flour an 8×8 glass baking dish or baking pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees farenheit.
Slice jalapeno pepper into thin rounds. Depending on your palate, you may leave seeds (for a spicier bite) or discard them. Set aside.
Whisk eggs in a large bowl until lemon colored and smooth. Whisk in agave nectar and buttermilk.
In a separate bowl whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add dry ingredients to egg mixture. Stir with large wooden spoon until flour is almost entirely wet. Stir in melted butter. Do not over-mix.
Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Scatter sliced jalapeno over batter. Bake about 25 minutes or until edges are slightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center come out dry. Let cool for ten minutes on a rack. Cut into 2”X2” squares ands serve warm with butter or drizzled with honey.
*While store-bought buttermilk is fine, I find that nothing compares to the richly flavored and butter-flecked organic type I purchase at my local green market. Though a dollar or so more expensive than the supermarket varieties, the difference in taste and freshness is priceless.
By Erin Patinkin on June 24, 2009 | 0
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