We
all have the Native Americans to thank for corn bread. Its humble
beginnings can be traced back to the Indians that the European settlers
came in contact with when they first arrived in America. However,
it stands to reason that the Native Americans have been making corn
bread long before that.
The Indians used corn ground into meal and flour for years in
their cooking. Corn was a major food source so they were very creative
in its usage. Because the white settlers were dependent on the natural
resources, they too, adopted the practice of making corn bread.
A surge in popularity around Civil War time was inevitable as corn
was plentiful and cheap. Corn bread and other meals made from corn
were easy to make.
Because there were special varieties of corn grown throughout
North America, the corn bread differed by region. In the southwest
areas, blue corn was popular. The northern regions favored the yellow
corn and the south had white corn. In addition, the preparations
in making corn bread differed too.
In the beginning, when a lot of supplies were scarce, the Indians
made corn bread from a simple mixture of water, salt and cornmeal.
The recipe graduated to using variety of sweetener products like
sugar, honey or molasses for northern corn bread. The south tended
to steer clear of the sweetened corn bread and favored using fat
from bacon or lard.
Because of some of the natural components in the corn, there
is no need to use yeast to get the corn bread to rise. This property
makes it one of Americas favorite quick breads. These days,
you can still make corn bread from scratch. However, there are a
number of varieties of corn bread mixes available these days from
your local grocery store. Corn bread, once a major part of a diet,
is now a southern accompanying favorite to almost any meal.
Blue Corn Cornbread
1
|
cup |
blue cornmeal |
1
|
cup |
all-purpose flour |
5
|
teaspoon |
baking powder |
1/4
|
cup |
white sugar |
1
|
pinch |
salt |
2
|
|
beaten eggs |
1
|
cup |
milk |
1/2
|
cup |
butter |
|
Directions
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease
a 9x9 inch baking dish.
- Mix cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a
bowl. Sift 3 times.
- Stir the eggs and milk into the cornmeal mixture. Place the
butter in the prepared baking dish, and melt in the preheated
oven. Mix hot, melted butter into the cornmeal mixture. Transfer
cornmeal mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- Bake on center rack in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes,
until the edges of the cornbread pull away from the sides of the
dish, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cool 10 minutes before cutting.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 140 |
Calories from Fat 60 |
Total Fat 7g - 11% DV |
Saturated Fat 4g - 20% DV |
Trans Fat |
|
|
|
Cholesterol 25mg - 8% DV |
Sodium 75mg - 3% DV
|
Potassium 230mg - 7% DV |
|
|
|
Total Carbohydrate 16g - 5% DV |
Dietary Fiber less than 1g - 4% DV |
|
|
Sugars 4g - |
Protein 2g |
Vitamin A 4% DV |
|
|
|
Vitamin C 0% DV |
Calcium 10% DV |
Iron 4% DV |
|