Pumpkin Cornbread

Cornbread is one of the easier things to make, which is probably why it's such a Thanksgiving day staple, but it can be so lackluster and dry I hardly ever think to make it.  Who among us hasn't choked on a big old chunk of the stuff?  First you cough, and the little dry crumbs get caught in your throat as you gasp for air, then you try to salvage the situation by taking a big gulp of red wine and then...you know the rest.  But mercifully, this recipe solves all that.  That's my Hot Pepper Honey being drizzled down over it.  They proved to be a winning combination.

I'm a pumpkin fanatic, and I try to wedge it into as many recipes as I can think of this time of year.  But if you're not careful everything you make will end up tasting like pumpkin pie.  I avoid using too much of the classic pie spices in my savory pumpkin dishes, especially cinnamon.  But pumpkin does need a little something.  This time I used a combination of nutmeg and cardamom.  My only dilemma is whether to serve this on Thanksgiving as is, or to make a Pumpkin Cornbread Stuffing out of it. 

I love it when a recipe can be laid out in broad strokes, it makes it so much more approachable.  This one is simply a matter of whisking the dry ingredients, whisking the wet ingredients, and mixing the two.  This is another recipe that you could mix the dry and wet separately the night before and bake off the next day. Cornbread cooks quickly, so you could actually bake it while the turkey rests, and bring it to the table hot out of the oven. 
This recipe is slightly adapted from Sugarcrafter.

Pumpkin Cornbread
oven to 375
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cardamom (use cinnamon or ginger if you prefer)
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

• Whisk the dry ingredients together in a small bowl, try to smooth out any brown sugar lumps.

2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin purée
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp molasses
1/4 cup buttermilk (or milk)

• Whisk the wet ingredients together in a larger bowl.  Add the dry to the wet, and mix until just combined.
• Turn into a buttered 9 inch spring form pan, (you could also use an 8x8 square pan) spreading out evenly.  Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you're using the 8x8 pan, make sure the center is cooked through.
• Cool for a few minutes in the pan, then remove and serve warm.

One year ago today---

White Chocolate Almond Butter Squares