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Home » Popular » American Recipes » Sweet Brown Butter Cornbread – Food Memory Guest Post w/ All Roads Lead to the Kitchen

Sweet Brown Butter Cornbread – Food Memory Guest Post w/ All Roads Lead to the Kitchen

November 13, 2013 by Savoring Italy

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Sweet Brown Butter Cornbread like your grandmother’s! Fluffy and so moist! Browned butter adds a nuttiness to this sweet cornbread that you will find irresistible. This is the ultimate cornbread to enjoy on Thanksgiving day (or any day of the year!).
sweet brown butter cornbread in a cast iron skillet
Sweet Brown Butter Cornbread is a reason to get out your cast iron skillet! Don’t wait just for Thanksgiving to make this amazing recipe. It is so easy to put together and always comes out perfect! It’s a wonderful addition to any family meal. The brown butter is the secret extra step in the recipe!

It’s hard to believe I’ve been writing on this little space online for almost 4 years. Many things have happened in my life since I started this blog. Of course my readers that have followed along or those that just recently found me know how special my dad was to me and how I have written a little about his loss this year.

I have been comforted by my friends and the stories they’ve written for my Food Memory series. It’s interesting with the amount of food blogs that one can find, some just resonate with you. At least that’s how it is with me.

One of the blogs I came across in the beginning of my blogging career was Heather from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen. I’m sure it was an incredible bread of hers that first compelled me to explore her blog a little. It was also her way of writing and her sweet personality that shines through in her posts. I was lucky enough to meet Heather this summer at the Food and Wine Conference. Heather was sweeter than I imagined she would be. Heather has put together a special story about her grandmother. I think you’ll enjoy it as much as I have. Sweet Brown Butter Cornbread is the special recipe she is sharing.

Sweet Brown Butter Cornbread

Here is my friend Heather and her special Food Memory story for us:

Food is an entirely sensory experience.  The feel of dough being kneaded into silky perfection in your hands.  The sound of meat sizzling when it hits a hot skillet.  The scent of cinnamon wafting from the oven door.  The sight of a holiday meal spread across the table.  The taste of a tomato just plucked from a vine, hanging heavy with the heat of summer.  Food can introduce you to new cultures, but it can also grab your heart and twist it into submission.  That is why I’m so honored to be sharing this story with Lora’s Food Memory series today.
sweet brown butter cornbread and other dishes

Food Memory

I was in 9th grade biology class when I saw my dad standing outside the classroom door.  I don’t remember leaving the school, or if my mom, brother, and sisters were already in the car waiting.  I don’t remember the 45 minute drive to the city that meant the beach, fireworks, blue moon ice cream, and (most of) my dad’s side of the family.  I just remember peering hesitantly at my grandma; her red hair curled and too much makeup caked on her face.  A face that, by the way, I barely remember wearing any makeup in life.  I’d never lost anybody, really lost anybody, before.

Looking back now, I feel fortunate that although my grandma passed away when I was so young, I have lots of memories of her.  Those were the days when we would actually load the whole family into the car and make the trip to one, or both, sides of the family for the holidays.  Sometimes, just because.

My dad’s mom and dad were divorced before I was even born.  I always felt slightly strange about that.  I didn’t know anybody else whose grandparents were divorced.  I don’t think it was as common back then.  Even though they were divorced, they still lived in the same town.  We would always visit both of them.  Though I’d love to talk about my grandpa, today I’m remembering the feisty, half-Cherokee, half-Scottish woman who had rows of jewel-toned jams lining her pantry, a can of bacon grease next to the stove, and a couple of ponds down the street where we would go fishing for Bluegill.

slice of bread with meat on a plate

Grandma’s Cornbread Recipe

Grandma used her cast-iron skillet to cook pretty much everything.  I loved seeing it sitting on one of her burners, freshly seasoned and ready to be used.  She would always put me to work, snapping some beans or peeling some potatoes while she prepared the meat; meat that she would always get from the local farmers or farm market.  Her food was always good old fashioned, down home, country food.  Even though she lived in Michigan, she was raised in Arkansas, and I’m betting that’s where she learned to cook.

To this day, I can’t see seasoned salt without my mouth watering in anticipation of some of her simple,  yet amazing, thin seasoned pork chops.  She’d fry ’em up in her cast-iron skillet while some from-scratch biscuits or cornbread were in the oven.  There was a big table in her kitchen that I’d set while the kitchen was filling with the scents of sizzling pork and warm bread.

Once the table was set, she’d send me to the pantry to pick out some her homemade jam to set alongside the soft butter on the table.  As I ran my finger lazily down the row, the late day sun would glint off glass, throwing rainbows onto the wall next to the jars.  I’d carefully pull one out to see what was behind it.  But in the end, I always chose the same one, if it wasn’t already gone: Boysenberry.  It was my favorite.

When we lost my grandma, we also lost all of the recipes in her head.  A smell, a site, a song, a game, a color would light that spark of nostalgia, and we’d talk about her pork chops for days.  I still pull a batch of warm buttermilk biscuits out of the oven, and find myself longing for a jar of Gram’s Boysenberry jam.  And I have never been able to recreate that sunny yellow, slightly sweet, perfectly grainy cornbread that lives in the rainbow-headband-wearing ten year old inside my head.

overhead shot of corn bread baked in cast iron skillet

Sweet Brown Butter Cornbread

I’ve tried many times over the years.  My cornbread winds up either too sweet or not sweet enough, too cakey or too crumbly, too hard or not yellow enough.  And although this recipe comes close, it still isn’t what I’ve been searching for for so many years.  But it’s so good, that I had to share it.  The browned butter adds a beautiful nuttiness that complements the sweet bread to a tee.  It leans more towards the cakey side, yet it’s fairly dense…perfect for soaking up a bit of butter when it’s pulled from the oven.  Or for showing off some deep purple Boysenberry Jam.

While I’m bummed that I was too young to even think about writing down grandma’s recipes, I know that her memory will live on through the glimpse of a thin-cut pork chop.  It will live on through a display of jams crafted lovingly by hand.  It will live on through the process of trying to develop the perfect recipe.

Thank you, Heather. You really brought me back to your childhood reading about your grandma and her special cornbread, her pork chops and homemade sweet jam.

Heather is quite the bread baker. I found her first through an incredible bread she made (not sure exactly which one it was because there are so many!). If you like Mexican food, you have to check out her “She made-Ella hace” series.  Some favorite recipes of mine from Heather are her beautiful pane bianco, decadent German chocolate cake , and these fun roasted banana and coconut popsicles.

You can find more of a Heather on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest

My other Food Memory guest posters:

  • Paula from Vintage Kitchen Notes and her Brown Butter Apple Cinnamon Crumb Bars
  • Shulie from Food Wanderings and her Shakshuka
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Sweet Brown Butter Cornbread

Browned butter adds a nuttiness to this sweet cornbread that you will find irresistible.
Author: Lora

Ingredients

  • 3 ounces unsalted butter divided
  • 1 1/3 cups lukewarm milk
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 3 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup masa harina corn flour
  • 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1/3 cup raw/turbinado sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400° F. Place an 8 to 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven. Put 2 ounces of the butter in a small skillet over a medium-low flame and let it melt and start to turn lightly brown. As soon as it smells nutty, and before it turns dark, remove it from the heat and set aside.
  • Whisk the milk, honey, and eggs together in a large measuring cup with a spout; set aside.
  • Whisk flour, masa harina, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center, and pour in the wet ingredients. Beat by hand, with a wooden spoon, until just combined.
  • Drizzle in the slightly cooled browned butter, and beat again until it is well distributed.
  • Use a potholder to carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven; drop in the remaining 1 ounce of butter, and swirl it around to coat the bottom and sides of the pan.
  • Immediately pour in the batter. Return to oven and bake until golden and cooked through, 25-30 minutes (depending on the size of pan you used – check it with a toothpick in the center, it should come out clean).
  • Serve warm, slathered with Boysenberry Jam, alongside Gram’s Seasoned Chops and green beans. Of course, this is also good with plain butter, honey butter, or cinnamon-honey butter.
Tried this recipe?Mention @savoringitaly or tag #savoringitaly!

 

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Comments

  1. Paula @ Vintage Kitchen Notes says

    November 13, 2013 at 6:21 am

    I'm one whose grandparent's divorced even before I was born! Such a bummer you don't have your gram's recipes, but sometimes it's great to have a food memory that grows stronger with the years because we can't replicate it. I can imagine her seasoned cast iron skillet, and cornbread will be my next recipe! I've yet to make it in my (sadly new) skillet, and I think it's about time. Love this post Heather!

    Reply
  2. Heather @girlichef says

    November 13, 2013 at 6:37 am

    Lora, thank you so much for letting me share a story about my grandma today. It is such an honor to be a part of your Food Memory series. And it was fabulous to meet you in real life…hopefully again next summer! 🙂

    Reply
  3. Heather @girlichef says

    November 13, 2013 at 6:38 am

    So I'm not the only one! 😉 I think you're right about the memory growing stronger…funny how that works. Thank you, Paula.

    Reply
  4. foodwanderings says

    November 13, 2013 at 9:20 am

    Wow, beautifully writer, Heather. So poetic. Your words transported me to a different place and a different time where you lightly brush your fingertips against the jars of jam in the pantry. Beautiful memory and gorgeous skillet cornbread. That first photo is stunning. Lora, brilliant series.

    Reply
  5. foodwanderings says

    November 13, 2013 at 9:21 am

    Sorry *written*

    Reply
  6. Heather @girlichef says

    November 13, 2013 at 9:34 am

    Thank you so much, Shulie 🙂

    Reply
  7. Laura (Tutti Dolci) says

    November 13, 2013 at 12:03 pm

    I love anything with brown butter, what a tasty cornbread!

    Reply
  8. Christiane ~ Taking On Magazines says

    November 13, 2013 at 2:59 pm

    What a touching, wonderful story! My grandmother died when I was young so I don't remember her cooking very much, which is unfortunate. I adore cornbread too but haven't made it with pork chops yet. I'm going to have to give it a try. Nice to meet you, Heather!

    Reply
  9. Heather @girlichef says

    November 13, 2013 at 5:18 pm

    Thank you, Christiane, it's very nice to meet you, as well. 🙂

    Reply
  10. Gintare @Gourmantine says

    November 14, 2013 at 6:49 am

    Beautifully written and such heartwarming story! I was very fortunate to grow up with my grandmother and great grandmother in one house and memories of us three cooking together always brings a smile.

    Reply
  11. Heather @girlichef says

    November 14, 2013 at 12:37 pm

    I bet it does – what a wonderful thing! 🙂 Thanks so much.

    Reply
  12. Kristina says

    November 14, 2013 at 8:00 pm

    thank you for sharing this with us, Heather – you write so beautifully, transporting us into these wonderful memories with you! I feel extremely lucky to have had a close relationship with my grandparents as a kid, and cherish so many memories of them.

    this recipe? AMAZING addition of the browned butter, YUM!

    Reply
  13. Heather @girlichef says

    November 14, 2013 at 8:10 pm

    Thank you so much, Kristina…that means a lot :).

    Reply
  14. Annamaria @ Bakewell Junction says

    November 15, 2013 at 2:08 pm

    I love sweet corn bread and this version with browned butter looks fabulous. I have wonderful memories of baking and cooking with my Grandmother too.
    Annamaria

    Reply
  15. Skillet Lasagna Bolognese - Cake Duchess — Cake Duchess says

    February 17, 2015 at 1:58 pm

    […] is Heather’s cornbread recipe *(sweet brown butter cornbread, to be precise!) that she makes in her cast iron skillet…gosh, […]

    Reply

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Welcome to our Italian kitchen! We are Lora and Gabriella, the mother-daughter team behind Savoring Italy. We work hard to create recipes that are inclusive of many sorts of diets, but do not follow one diet. Read More

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