Southern Rogue Cornbread

Southern Rogue Cornbread

Makes 18 good-sized pieces

2 8.5-ounce boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin mix (regular or vegetarian)

1 14-15 ounce can creamed corn

2 large eggs

1/3 cup sour cream, Greek yogurt, crème fraîche, or Mexican crema

1-2 tablespoons red pepper relish (or Darrene’s Bacon-Onion-Serrano Jam)

1 tablespoon butter, cut into 3 slices

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan (set the oven to 375 if you’re using a Pyrex pan). Put the Jiffy mix in a large bowl and add everything except the butter. Stir until it’s all combined, but don’t worry about a couple of small lumps or streaks of flour. Pour into the pan and bake for 20 – 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Take the cornbread out of the oven and brush the top with the butter pieces using a pastry brush. Let it cool and serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Store the leftovers in the fridge.

If you can’t find the Jiffy mix or don’t want to use it: combine 1-1/2 cups each of flour and fine cornmeal in the bowl of an electric mixer or other large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and up to 2 tablespoons of sugar (you can leave it out, but it helps the cornbread brown). Whisk or mix to combine. Cut 6 tablespoons of soft unsalted butter or vegetable shortening into pieces and scatter them on top of the flour. Use the mixer or pastry blender (or your fingers) to combine everything until the butter or shortening is completely distributed in the flour mixture and there are no lumps.