Bless This Spoon

By Stephanie Williams Dean

How do we love cornmeal? Let me count the ways.

Here in the South, we have a strong attachment to our cornmeal. Whether adding it to breakfast, dinner or dessert recipes, an addition of this mighty fine grind from corn is inextricably bound to our way of life as we gather around our tables and share a meal in fellowship with family. We can’t explain. It’s just a Southern thing.

NASHVILLE

CORNCAKES

1 beaten large egg

2 Tbsp. melted butter

¼ cup sugar

2 cups self-rising yellow

   cornmeal

¾ cup self-rising flour

Butter for skillet

1 ¾ cups water

In a mixer, beat egg. Mix in butter and sugar. Add cornmeal, flour, and water. Mix until like a pancake batter. Cook stovetop in a greased, medium hot cast iron skillet, coated with butter. For each 3 inch cake, pour 1 Tbsp. of batter in the hot skillet making sure they don’t touch. Add more butter if needed to prevent sticking. Cook until golden and flip to cook the other side. Serve hot with everything!

AUNT RENE RENE’S CHESS PIE

3 beaten eggs

¼ cup melted butter (half stick)

¼ cup whole milk

2 tsp. vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ cups sugar

1 Tbsp. flour

2 heaping Tbsp. self-rising yellow cornmeal

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Pinch of salt

1 unbaked pie crust

In a mixer, beat eggs. Mix in butter, milk, vinegar, and vanilla. Add sugar, flour, cornmeal, nutmeg, salt, and mix well. Pour in pie crust and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes or until firm.

SOUTHERN CORNMEAL COOKIES

2 beaten egg yolks

1 cup softened butter (2 sticks)

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp.  lemon extract

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup self-rising yellow cornmeal

Sugar for dusting

In a mixer, beat egg yolks. Mix in soft butter, and sugar.  Add extracts. Add flour and cornmeal and mix well.  Wrap dough in plastic and chill for 4 hours. Roll out dough on a floured surface and use cookie cutters. Sprinkle with sugar. On an ungreased baking sheet, bake in a 350-degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until done.

FARMER’S PANCAKES

3 separated large eggs

2 cups buttermilk

3 Tbsp. melted butter

1 ¼ cups self-rising yellow cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

In a mixer, beat egg yolks. Mix in buttermilk and melted butter. Add cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt.  In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold whites into batter and mix until like a pancake batter. Don’t over mix. Cook stovetop in a greased, hot cast iron skillet, coated with butter.  For pancake, pour ¼ cup of batter in the hot skillet making sure they don’t touch. Cook until golden and flip to cook the other side. Serve with fresh fruit and maple syrup.

CORNMEAL COCONUT PIE

3 separated large eggs

½ cup melted butter

½ cup light cream.

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ cups sugar

1 ½ cups light brown sugar

½ cup self-rising yellow cornmeal

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cup coconut

1 unbaked piecrust

In a mixer, beat egg yolks. Mix in butter, cream, vanilla, and mix.  Add sugars and cornmeal. Fold in egg whites, lightly beaten. Fold in pecans, coconut, and mix.  Bake in a 350-degree oven for 35 minutes or until done.

CORNMEAL WAFFLES

1 beaten egg

4 Tbsp. melted butter

1 ½ cups buttermilk

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup self-rising yellow cornmeal

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Pinch of salt

1 cup chopped toasted pecans (optional)

In a mixer, beat egg. Mix in butter, and buttermilk. Then add sugar, flour, cornmeal, baking powder, soda, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until just blended.  Stir in pecans.

In a hot, nonstick Belgian waffle maker, pour about ½ cup of batter for each waffle or enough to coat the bottom of a waffle maker. Cook until golden brown. Great with fruit and syrup for breakfast or creamed chicken for dinner!

SWEET CORNMEAL CAKE

4 large separated eggs

½ cup melted butter (1 stick)

2 cups whole milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

5 Tbsp. sugar

1 cup yellow self-rising cornmeal

¾ tsp. salt

1 tsp grated lemon peel (optional)

¼ cup honey

In a mixer, beat egg yolks. Mix in butter, milk, and vanilla. Add sugar, cornmeal, salt. Add lemon peel and honey. Mix well. Beat egg whites until medium-soft peaks form. Fold whites into cornmeal mixture. Bake in a 9×5 metal loaf pan at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until done.

Tips: Usually I begin by beating the eggs. Then I mix in other wet ingredients followed by the dry. That way, it’s a one bowl prep so more efficient.  Mix well between ingredients. I use Martha White self-rising yellow cornmeal mix (Hot Rise). My Belgian waffle maker is Vitantonio brand and is superb. When you’re baking a cake or pie,  zig-zag a fork across the entire top to release air out of those little bubbles before you put it in the oven.

If you have any old family recipes you’d like to share, email to blessyourspoon@gmail.com.