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Holly’s Buttermilk Cornbread

When I first started playing the ukulele I joined a group in San Rafael, CA called the UFOs or Ukulele Friends of Ohana. I created this recipe for their weekly Friday night kani ka pila. It has been a hit ever since. A little of this goes a long way, so I like to serve small squares of this presented in cupcake papers on a serving platter. Easy to eat and easy to clean up!

Dry ingredients:
1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup yellow corn meal
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Wet ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
2 large eggs
1-1/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut wax paper to fit the bottom of an 8” x 8” square pan. Grease the pan then line the bottom with paper. Set aside.
Measure all dry ingredients into a sifter. Set aside
Prepare Wet Ingredients: Microwave butter at 100% power 1 minute, or until melted but not bubbling. Set aside to slightly cool. In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs. Whisk in buttermilk and then oil. When melted butter is warm to touch, slowly whisk in.
Sift dry ingredients onto wet ingredients. Stir dry ingredients into wet with a rubber spatula until just blended. Scrape mixture into the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven 35 minutes or until center springs back when lightly touched.

Variations:
Coconut cornbread: Either use the buttermilk as directed above or substitute 3/4 cup coconut milk for part of the buttermilk. Reduce vegetable oil to 1/4. Stir in 1/2 to 3/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut into batter. You can also add 1 (8 oz.) can finely crushed pineapple. Before folding into the batter, in a strainer, thoroughly squeeze out as much juice as possible. Use the juice in another recipe.

Roasted Corn Cheddar Cheese Corn Bread: In a strainer, defrost 1-cup frozen petite corn kernels under cool running water. Allow to drain and air dry. In a dry (do not use any oil) 10-inch non-stick pan over high heat sauté the dried corn kernels until they are lightly browned. This caramelizes the sugars in the corn. Allow to cool while mixing the corn bread. When batter is mixed, fold in cooled corn kernels, 1-cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup thinly sliced green (spring) onions. Bake as directed above.