cooking with ree

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I learned to make cornbread in college. Of course I grew up eating cornbread. I like cornbread. I have always liked a yeast roll better. UNTIL I started making my own cornbread waffles. Yes, I said it. Waffles.

Fresh hot cornbread with real butter is perfect with certain things, like brown beans & ham, and beef stew. In the South, it isn’t unheard of to eat a concoction of leftover cornbread, sugar, and milk. My mother would eat that as a late night snack.

Not All Cornbread is Created Equal

Every Southern cook knows how to make cornbread. Some Southern cooks will fight you over the acceptability of putting sugar or honey in cornbread. (I love a little bit of sugar in mine.) The ratio of cornmeal to flour varies according to preference. I prefer a little bit of flour and mostly cornmeal. Some will use only cornmeal, which is a great option for those that are gluten free). There may be a heated discussion on what to cook cornbread in, too. You could use cast iron skillets or molds, metal pans, glass, muffin tins (with or without liners), baking stones, or…dare I say…a waffle iron? And let’s not forget to mention all the things you could embellish cornbread with!

Additions:

• bacon
• jalapenos
• honey
• hot honey
• cheese
• corn or cream corn
• chives
• onion
• green onion

The Equipment

Let’s talk equipment.

Not all waffle makers are the same! I bought my first waffle iron in 1989 specifically for making cornbread. My original waffle maker was reluctantly retired a few years ago because the cord was frayed. I didn’t want to burn down my house. I had NO IDEA how hard finding a replacement would be! Did you know that it is ALMOST impossible to find a waffle make that does not make Belgian style waffles? I learned that classic waffles are also referred to as American waffles. I had no idea that Belgian style was the norm now!

After some help from GROK, I found a NEW waffle maker – American style, not Belgian! We tested it out recently, and it works great! Link for the waffle maker is on my Favorite Things page HERE.

Why I Love Cornbread as Waffles

• Cornbread waffles are like getting the crispy tasty edge all the way through the entire piece of cornbread
• Cornbread waffles can be frozen and reheated in the toaster and taste like you made it fresh, and you can reheat only what you need, even if you only need one piece

I am going to share my cornbread recipe that I adapted from my Baba’s recipe. There are a few things you should know. I tend to measure the sugar I put in with my heart. Same with the salt. It may vary each time because I never know what my heart may want until I start making it! I also prefer white cornmeal rather than yellow. I keep both in my pantry because my heart decides that as well. I love to use coarsely ground yellow corn when we have it. If you prefer a thicker, cake-like texture for cornbread, increase the flour and reduce the cornmeal by the same amount. Never ever use more flour than cornmeal! Need Gluten free? Eliminate the flour altogether, or substitute with Cup 4 Cup gluten free flour. Substitute honey for the sugar to make it healthier or omit it completely. Don’t be afraid to adjust the recipe to suit your taste! Milk is added to “consistency” and that will vary based on the cornmeal to flour ratio you settle on. The consistency should be thick but pourable. I like it about the same thickness as a cake batter, or pancake batter made with buttermilk.

Baba’s Cornbread Recipe