you're making mealtime meaningful.
I love cornbread. There. I said it! I especially enjoy Hot Pepper Cornbread with Honey Butter. This is meant to be shared, even though I admit, I could eat this whole thing myself, but that wouldn’t be as much fun as sharing it with friends. This recipe combines heat and sweet that work together in delicious harmony. Get ready for goodness!
Homemade cornbread is as easy as pie, as they say. Hot Pepper Cornbread is a delightful take on jalapeño cornbread with delicious honey butter to boot. Cornbread is easy, and good cornbread is even easier when made with the right add-ins to maximize flavor. Creamed corn is a naturally sweet way to incorporate moisture and sweetness into the bread.
The heat comes from the jalapeños. To tone down the heat, remove the seeds from the jalapeño; it will make a significant difference in the spiciness of the finished bread. So, we’ve got heat and sweet going on in the bread itself, but the real hit of sweetness comes from the honey butter. Compound butter is one of my favorite ways to bring dynamic flavor into a dish. Here, I’m using room-temperature butter and whipping it with honey. Not only is the butter infused with honey-sweetness but it’s also made creamier and lighter when the butter is whipped.
Honey butter is just as good over warm cornbread as over a slice of warm toast, so I like to make a good little batch of this and keep some in the fridge. My family loves honey butter and golly, it couldn’t be easier to make.
I’ll let you in on a little maybe no-so-secret technique for baking the cornbread. I like to heat my cast iron skillet during the oven’s preheating. I pour the batter into the hot skillet to create a nice crispy crust on the exterior of the cornbread. A golden crisped crust, savory bread and a sweet butter…I might request this as my birthday cake next year!
Hot Pepper Cornbread and Honey Butter is best enjoyed with Brined and Fried Chicken, Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Greens, Southern-Style Mac and Cheese, and Grilled Peaches and Ice Cream.
Hot Honey Cornbread and Honey Butter
Yield(s): Serves 10-12
15m prep time
30m cook time
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 6 whole eggs
- 8 oz. butter, melted
- 1 (15 oz) can creamed corn
- 2 jalapeños, diced
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
For honey butter:
- 8 oz. unsalted butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 400°F alongside a cast iron pan to create a firm crust.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.
- Mix together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl until combined, then mix both the wet and dry ingredients together.
- Remove the preheated cast iron pan and spray the pan with cooking spray. Pour the batter into the cast iron and bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
- Using a mixer, whisk softened butter, honey, and salt until pale yellow in color and fluffy. Serve with cornbread. Enjoy!