Honey-Pepper Cornbread

Have you ever been out to eat and seen cornbread on the menu? If you're like me, you get excited for it. A sweet, warm, corny muffin dripping with butter and honey ...

... and then it comes and I'm completely disappointed. I don't think I've had cornbread at any restaurant that I've really liked. Usually it's been baked with a muffin liner, and crumbles to bits when you pick it up. Sometimes you can nibble the top, but that's only 1/3 of the entire muffin!

Well, there's no need to be disappointed any longer!

Before you start mixing any ingredients, you'll want to get your pan ready. Pouring batter into a hot pan will ensure your cornbrad gets a nice crisp crust to the outside.

Today I'm using a muffin tin, but this recipe also makes enough to fill an 8x8 cake pan.

Oil the pan really well, and then pop it in your preheated oven.

Now that your pan is ready, you can start mixing your batter. It starts with melted butter, sugar, and honey.

I used half sugar and half honey, but it can be made with all sugar or all honey. The honey gives it a nice sweet-but-not-too-sweet flavor, I think.

Next crack in two eggs. Make sure your melted butter mixture isn't too hot or it will cook your eggs a little, and you don't want that.

Next comes the buttermilk. Yum, buttermilk.

Before you stir the buttermilk around, sprinkle in some baking soda too.

Now you can give your batter a swirl.

The dry ingredients are next. It's flour, cornmeal, and salt. And freshly-cracked black pepper. Lots of it.

I wish you could smell this.

Carefully pull your hot pan out of the oven and pour in your batter.

I find an ice cream scoop produces nice, even muffins.

Now just put them back in the oven and let them bake to a golden brown.

Slather 'em with butter and say sayonara to those dry, crumbly muffins you're used to!

If for whatever reason you end up with leftovers, they make a great cornbread stuffing. They also make a good breakfast. My hubby likes to warm them in the microwave, slather them with butter, and drizzle honey over the top. :D

Recipe: Honey-Pepper Cornbread

1 stick (1/4 lb.) butter, melted
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. honey
2 eggs
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. cornmeal
1 c. flour
1 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt

Grease a 8x8 cake pan or a muffin tin. Place in a preheated 375F oven and let it heat up while you prepare the batter.

Stir melted butter, sugar, and honey together. Add eggs; stir to combine. Add bbaking soda; stir to combine.

Add cornmeal, flour, pepper, and salt. Stir gently until all dry ingredients have been completely incorporated.

Take pan or muffin tin out of oven. Pour in batter (filling muffin tins 3/4 full.) Bake for 30-40 minutes or until completely cooked through. Let cool slightly before serving.