Lemon Almond Bread

I would love to add a picture of this lovely bread sliced up to eat, but we delivered it to the neighbor who just gave us his old playset for the kids! 

LEMON ALMOND BREAD

1-3/4 cups flour

3/4 cups sugar

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

1/4 c. cooking oil

2 t. finely zested lemon peel

2 T. lemon juice

1/2 c. chopped almonds (I use sliced, cuz that is what I keep handy!)

Topping:

2 T. lemon juice

1 T. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a loaf pan and set aside. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Combine egg, milk oil and lemon juice in another bowl.  Make a well in the center of dry ingredients  and add went ingredients, stirring until just moist. Fold in almonds and lemon peel. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 to 55 minutes or till wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Meanwhile stir together 2 tablespooons lemon juice and 1 tablespoon sugar. While bread is still in pan, brush lemon-sugar mixture over bread. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from loaf pan and cool on wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before serving.

Oatmeal Banana Bread

This is my kind of banana bread.  I like banana stuff, pudding, bread, muffins, smoothies...maybe I evolved from a monkey ;o)  The reason why I like this recipe so much is the texture.  I don't like the slimy crust of banana bread.  It kind of sticks to your teeth.  This banana bread has more texture and less slime.  I like that.

OATMEAL BANANA BREAD

Find this and many other great recipes at For The Love of Cooking!

• 1-1/2 c. flour
• 1/3 c. white sugar
• 1/3 c. brown sugar
• 1-1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/4 t. baking soda
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1-1/2 t. cinnamon
• 3/4 c. quick cooking oats
• 2 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/3 c. low fat buttermilk
• 1/4 c. canola oil
• 1-1/4 t. vanilla
• 2 eggs, beaten

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray. Combine all dry ingredients together and mix well. Combine the banana, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and eggs. Mix thoroughly. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until well combined. Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Let the bread cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Some thoughts on cooking:

1.  If a recipe has oats it must be healthy.
2.  If a recipe has peanut butter it must taste good.
3.  If a recipe has buttermilk it must be southern.

PEANUT BUTTER BANANA OATMEAL MUFFINS

• 1-1/2 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 c. rolled oats
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 2 T. applesauce
• 3/4 c. organic cane sugar or light brown sugar
• 2 lg. eggs
• 1 c. ripe mashed banana (about 3 bananas)
• 6 T. creamy peanut butter
• 1 c. low-fat buttermilk

Combine dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.  In a large bowl combine applesauce, sugar, eggs, mashed bananas, peanut butter and buttermilk. Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix until just moistened.  Scoop into prepared muffin pans and bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes.  This recipe makes 18 muffins.  I made 12 big ones and 12 mini muffins.

See Works For Me Wednesday for more good ideas!

Honey Buns

Oh honey...they are great.  Honey, you're gonna love'em.  These are amazing honey. Seriously, these are the best rolls I have ever made. It's a first...I didn't change a thing about this recipe.  This recipe is perfect just the way I found it at The Pastry Affair.  I am pretty sure I will be returning to this blog to try out other stuff like the Almond Joy Tart.  One of Rowdy's favorite things is coconut and this tart looks awesome. 

One of the many things about blogging I have yet to master is the photography aspect.  This year I did get an awesome new camera and am able to take great pictures with it, however, there are many people living here and at dinnertime it is hard to say wait...I need to get a picture of that food before you start shoveling it in, or the baby is crying that dinnertime "witching hour" cry that only momma can sooth.  In any case, I did not get  a great picture of my rolls and did not get a picture of them out of the pan...I hope to make them again soon and get a great shot to add to this post.  Now that would be amazing.

HONEY BUNS 

• 2 t. active dry yeast
• 1 c. warm water
• 1/4 c. honey plus 1 T.
• 1 t. salt
• 1 egg, room temperature (this is when I miss my chickens!)
• 3 c. all-purpose flour, plus extra if necessary
• 1 T. butter

In the bowl of your stand mixer combine water, 1/4 cup honey and yeast.  Let proof for 5 minutes. Add egg, salt and flour and begin to knead with your dough hook.  This dough will seem sticky, but that is how it is supposed to be.  You may need to add a little flour, it just depends on how dry your flour is and the level of stickiness you can handle.  Knead for 5 minutes.  Shape into a ball, place in an oiled bowl (I must confess to never doing this step with bread dough...I just shape into a ball and place back in my mixing bowl), cover and and let rise for at least an hour, two hours would probably be better. Spray pan with nonstick spray.  I used my 3 quart enameled cast iron pan, but a 13x9 inch Pyrex would work just as well.  Shape into 12 balls and place evenly in pan.  Let rise for another 30 minutes. Combine 1 tablespoon of melted butter with 1 tablespoon honey.  Gently brush across the top of the rolls so you don't deflate them. Place in an oven that has been preheated to 400 degrees. Bake for 13 to 20 minutes, depending on your oven, until golden brown on top. Let stand a few minutes before removing from pan so the butter/honey can slightly harden. 

Banana and Toasted Pecan Muffins

Toasted pecans take the banana muffin to a whole new level.  Toasted pecans make everything yummy, toss in a salad, sprinkle on pancakes once you ladel the batter on the pan and sprinkled on a bowl of ice cream.  The possibilities are endless.  The best way to toast the pecan is to put the desired amount in a frying pan, over medium-high heat tossing the pecans around for about 10 minutes, until you smell that toasty nutty smell.  Be careful not to leave the pan for too long....they can go from toasty to burned pretty quickly.

 

Toasty Pecans.

These muffins have texture...with a slight crunch!

Split and smear with butter!

BANANA AND TOASTED PECAN MUFFINS

• 1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1 t. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1 c. chopped pecans, toasted
• 1 lg. egg
• 3/4 c. organic cane sugar
• 1-1/3 c. mashed ripe bananas (2 to 3)
• 6 T. canola oil or melted butter
• 1 t. vanilla

Combine dry ingredients.  Mix toasted pecans with flour mixture. Mash bananas in a separate bowl.  Add egg, sugar, butter/oil and vanilla.  Whisk together wet ingredients. Mix wet and dry ingredients together just until dry ingredients are moistened.  This batter will seem somewhat thick. Scoop into prepared muffin pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes, until toothpick test comes out clean.  Let cool 2 to 3 minutes before removing from pan.  Makes 12 muffins.

Banana Oat Muffins

Mmmmmm........These are so delicious.  They have a slight crunch from the rolled oats and should only be served with a slab of butter in the middle!

BANANA OAT MUFFINS

• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup organic cane sugar (or brown sugar)
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/2 t. vanilla
• 3 bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine dry ingredients.  In another bowl, mash bananas.  Add egg and beat.  Add milk, oil and vanilla.  Combine wet ingredients with dry ingredients.  Mix until just combined. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until toothpick test comes out clean.  This recipe makes 12 regular muffins and 12 mini-muffins.

Find more delicious recipes at Tasty Tuesday,

What Kind of Bread Did You Make Today?

I have been making bread for many years.  It has gotten to the point where I cannot really stomach most store bought bread.  I am not a snob...really.  I buy bread, I buy bagels.  But I like homemade bread so much better and my ingredient list is a lot shorter. 

Today Santa and I made some honey, wheat and oat bread.  It was a tasty loaf.  It was really tasty when it was hot out of the oven and I sliced off the end and smeared it with butter and honey!

Honey, Wheat and Oat Bread

• 1 T. yeast
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1-1/2 cups warm water (not hot!)
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup wheat flour
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 t. salt

Combine yeast, honey, water, oats and wheat flour in the bowl of your stand mixer.  Mix well with a spoon. Cover with a towel and let stand for 1 hour.  It should look puffed up and bubbly.  Add all-purpose flour and salt.  Knead for 5 minutes with dough hook.  Shape into a ball and let rise, covered, for 1/2 an hour.  Punch down and shape into loaf.  (This makes one 10 inch loaf.  I use a 10 inch Norpro loaf pan.)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover and let rise for another 1/2 an hour.  Bake bread for 35 minutes and cool on wire rack.  Fresh bread is easiest to slice once it has cooled...but who can wait?

This post has been linked to Meatless Mondays.

Honey Butter Drop Biscuits

Honey drop biscuits are so yummy and sweet!  Smear with whipped butter!  Enjoy!

HONEY DROP BISCUITS

• 2 cups flour
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup honey

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter. Combine milk and honey.  Mix honey/milk in with dry ingredients.  If you are a regular biscuit maker, this batter will seem wet.  Have no fear, it is supposed to be a little more wet than biscuit dough that you would roll out.  Drop biscuits, using two spoons, one spoon to scoop and one spoon to push it off, onto a greased baking sheet.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until bottoms are golden brown.  Makes 8 to 12 biscuits, depending on how big you want yours.

Check out Tasty Tuesday for more yummy recipes.

No Knead Bread

Make your own Artisan bread.  This bread is simple, but you must have patience.  There is really minimal work involved and it is so worth the wait!  I am not sure where I found out about this bread, but here is the link to the original post from the New York Times.

In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles.

Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

Heavily dust a tea towel (not bar towel) with cornmeal.

Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball, just kind of folding up the side on top of each other.  This dough is really soft and can seem very difficult to work with, but it is so worth it. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. (Prepare the towel before you shape your dough so you can immediately flip it over on to the towel coated with cornmeal.) Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours.

When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it will look messy and cornmeal may fly everywhere!  

Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.

Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

NO KNEAD BREAD

• 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
• ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
• 1¼ teaspoons salt
• 1-5/8 cup water
• Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees. (Mine was on the counter for about 24 hours...I was busy.)  Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball, just kind of folding up the side on top of each other.  This dough is really soft and can seem very difficult to work with, but it is so worth it. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. (Prepare the towel before you shape your dough so you can immediately flip it over on to the towel coated with cornmeal.) Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.  At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it will look messy and cornmeal may fly everywhere!  Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Soaked Whole Wheat Bread...I can sorta cook....but I am definitely not a photographer!

This looks really gross!  This is the result of the overnight bowls.  Chop up the dough to ensure that it gets mixed together evenly.

Here in the mixing bowl are the chunks of dough along with the remainder of the ingredients.  Knead for 5 minutes adding more flour as needed.

Getting ready to rise.  You can see that the dough is somewhat sticky by the sides of the mixing bowl.  I have found that I like my dough a little more sticky and wet even if it is a little harder to work with.

This is the finished loaf.  This is only the second time that I have made soaked wheat bread.  As you may have read earlier, I have a large supply of hard red wheat.  If you have ever used hard red you know that it can have kind of a harsh taste, especially if you are not used to it.  Soaking the flour really changes the taste, for the better.  It also makes the flour easier to digest.  Read about the health benefits of soaking your grains here.

SOAKED WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

Bowl #1

• 1-3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 t. salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 T. whey if you have it or 2 T. plain yogurt

Bowl #2

• 1-3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4 t. instant yeast
• 3/4 cup filtered water

Additional ingredients for day 2:

• 1/2 t. salt
• 3 t. instant yeast
• 2-1/4 T. honey
• 1 T. melted butter

The night before baking the bread combine the ingredients for bowl #1 and cover with plastic wrap.  Leave out on counter overnight.  Combine the ingredients for bowl #2, cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge overnight.

The next morning, remove bowl #2 from the fridge and let set at room temperature for 2 hours.

Chop both pre-doughs into 10 to 12 smaller pieces.  Put pieces in bowl of stand mixer.  Combine with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3 teaspoons yeast, honey and melted butter.  Start kneading with dough hook.  If dough seems too sticky add more flour one spoonful at a time until dough pulls away from sides, but is slightly sticky.  Knead for 5 minutes.  Shape into a ball and place in oiled bowl.  Let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled.  Shape into loaf and place in prepared loaf pan.  Let rise again for 30 to 45 minutes, until doubled, but not more than doubled.   Preheat oven to 425 degrees and insert a cookie sheet or small cake pan on the top rack. When the dough is ready to bake, put it in the oven and pour one cup hot water into the upper pan. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 20 minutes, rotate loaf 180 degrees and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes, until golden.  Remove from pan and place on cooling rack.  Let cool at least 1 hour before slicing.

Quick Bread Cinnamon Rolls

Quick bread cinnamon rolls are quick!  You can easily get them started and have them coming out of the oven in about 1 hour and 15 minutes.  They are tasty too.

QUICK BREAD CINNAMON ROLLS

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 T. yeast (this is what makes it so quick)
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 t. salt
• 1/2 cup oil
• 3 T. honey
• 1 cube butter softened
• brown sugar
• cinnamon
• a little melted butter
• maple syrup

Combine 1 cup wheat flour, 1 cup white flour and the yeast in your standing mixer bowl.  In a saucepan warm milk, water, oil, honey and salt.  Not too hot or it will kill the yeast, just warm to touch, melting the honey.  Pour the warm mixture in with the flour and yeast, stir with a wooden spoon.  Using your dough hook, slowly add the rest of the flour.  Knead for 5 minutes.  Remove from mixing bowl. Quickly knead a couple of times with a little flour to make the dough smooth.  Form into a ball and let rest for 10 minutes.  Roll out into a rectangle.  This will be pretty large, about 18x12 inches.  Spread softened butter over entire surface.  Sprinkle with brown sugar to taste...the more the better. Sprinkle with cinnamon the same way.  We like a lot of cinnamon.  Roll into a log, starting on the longer side.  Pinch seam together.  At this point I usually stretch the log of cinnamon roll dough out a little to make it a little more even in diameter...it is usually thicker in the middle.  Slice into 1 inch thick slices and place in a large pan sprayed with no stick spray.  Let rise 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake 15 to 20 minutes, until nice and golden.  Once you remove them from the oven, brush with melted butter and then brush with maple syrup. 

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

We had these this morning.  They were yummy and warm and I should have split mine open and slathered it with butter, but I am trying to set a good example for the children.

APPLE CINNAMON MUFFINS

• 1 cup wheat flour
• 1 cup white flour
• 1/2 cup organic cane sugar or brown sugar
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk (I used yogurt)
• 1 t. vanilla
• 4 T. melted butter or canola oil
• 1 tart apple (I used Granny Smith), peeled and diced fine

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare muffin pan to your liking.  I use nonstick spray.  Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl combine eggs, yogurt or buttermilk, vanilla and butter. Gently combined wet and dry ingredients. (I never use a separate bowl...I just throw the wet stuff in with the dry stuff.)  Fold in apples.  Divide among 12 muffin cups.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until tester comes out clean.  Enjoy warm and slather with butter if you dare.

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Start The New Year Off Right....Lemon Blueberry Muffins!

I started the New Year off right.  Last night I passed out on the couch at 8:30!  The kids stayed up until 9:30...Holy Smokes Batman.  They are such party animals.  This morning I made Lemon Blueberry Muffins and they were fab-oo!  I found this recipe at For The Love of Cooking.  I will be trying lots of things from this site. 

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup of frozen blueberries, plus a few extra for the top of each muffin
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• Finely grated zest of 2 small lemons
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• Demerara for sprinkling on top of muffins or 2 packets of raw cane sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl combine eggs, milk, oil, zest and lemon juice.  Fold into the dry ingredients. Next fold in blueberries.  Scoop into muffin pan.  Sprinkle a couple more blueberries on top of each muffin and then sprinkle with demerara or raw sugar.  Bake for 20 to 23, until tester comes out clean.  Let cool in pan 5 minutes and then cool a little longer on a rack.  Enjoy as they are or slather with butter!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Muffins

I am attempting to make a comeback.  All comebacks should involve peanut butter.  Everyday should involve peanut butter, even if it is just a spoonful to give you a little boost in the afternoon.  All my chicks love this recipe.

Combine the dry ingredients.

Here is the finished batter...it is a very wet batter.

Be sure that your assistant gives the batter a taste test.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Muffins

• 1-1/4 cups whole wheat or all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
• 3/4 cup Demerara or packed brown sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Dash ground cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 1/4 heaping cup peanut butter (please do not use reduced fat!)
• 1-1/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine dry ingredients.  Stir to combine.  Pour in milk, egg and peanut butter.  Mix well.  The batter will seem kind of runny for a muffin batter, but trust me, they will be muffins in the end.  Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in pan 5 minutes before removing.  Makes 12 muffins.

This post was linked up with Tasty Tuesday.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Muffins

It is that pumpkin time of year.  This is one of my favorite pumpkin recipes.  My kids love these!

Pumpkin Butterscotch Muffins

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 3/4 cups pumpkin
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 cups nuts, optional
• 2 cups butterscotch chips

Combine all dry ingredients. Add pumpkin, eggs, and oil. Mix until smooth. Add nuts if desired and the butterscotch chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until done. Makes 18 muffins.

White Bread

Yes, wheat bread is better for you.  Yes, I have a wheat grinder and 1500 pounds of wheat.  But white bread my friends, homemade, warm and slathered with butter is comfort food.  It also makes superior grilled cheese sandwiches.

Sassy's White Bread

• 1-1/2 c. warm water
• 1/4 c. demerara, turbinado or good ol' white sugar
• 1 T. yeast
• 4 c. flour
• 1 t. salt

In the bowl of your standing mixer combine water and sugar.  Sprinkle yeast on top and let proof for 5 minutes.  (I never skip the proofing.  How will you know if your yeast did not activate, if the water killed it because it was too hot or if the yeast was just plain old dead?)  Once the yeast has become slightly foamy you know it is time for flour and salt.  Add in flour and then salt and knead with your dough hook for 5 minutes.  You may need to add a little more water or a little more flour depending on the consistency of your dough. Your dough should be nice and smooth and the sides of the mixing bowl should be clean.  Once your dough has kneaded for 5 minutes, shape into a ball, place back in mixing bowl and cover with a towel. Let rise 30 to 45 minutes, until doubled.  Once doubled, gently deflate and shape into a loaf shape. Place dough in a greased loaf pan, cover with towel and let rise 30 to 45 minutes, until almost doubled. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 35 minutes, until golden brown.  After removing from oven, let bread sit in pan for about 5 minutes.  This sort of steams the crust so it is not has hard and weird kids will eat it because the crust is not too hard/crunchy. This recipe makes a 12 inch loaf.  I have the Norpro 12 inch Nonstick Bread Pan.  It is a dream.  Just a little bit of nonstick spray and the bread just pops right out every time.

Cast Iron Cornbread

I grew up eating cornbread this way.  It is the yummiest way to cook it.  Nice and crispy, almost fried on the edges.  The only difference between now and then is that I add sugar.  I am half Yankee after all!  I just don't know how those Southerner's do it without sugar.

The dry ingredients.

Throw in the buttermilk and the egg.  You could mix them in a separate bowl and then add them in, but then you would have another dirty bowl.

This batter will be nice and thick.

My skillet looks a little dry.  I am not that good at keeping it seasoned well, but the butter will help to season it some.

Here it is, just put in the oven (I forgot to take a picture before I put it in the oven).  Look what the butter does.  It sneaks up over the top.....

Cornbread

• 1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar (I use demerara)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add egg and buttermilk and mix well. Once oven is heated to 425 degrees place 10 to 11 inch cast iron skillet into over with 4 tablespoons unsalted butter. Watch carefully to not burn butter, but melt the butter completely.  Be careful, the pan will be HOT.  Swirl the butter around in the pan and then pour in the batter.  Spread batter out evenly.  Return to oven and bake for 18 to 25 minutes, until toothpick test comes out clean.  Mine only took about 18 minutes, but my skillet is 11-3/4 inches. Slice into wedges and serve.  No extra butter needed.  This stuff is already very buttery.  I serve this last night with White Chicken Chili.