Jalapeño Cornbread

Is there anything more comforting than chili and cornbread on a cold winter night? And is there anything more disappointing than buying a beautiful slice of cornbread somewhere and then having it be dry, crumbly, and generally lacking? Disappointed with the cornbread offerings near me, I decided to create a moist, cakier version of the classic – with jalapeños thrown in for spice, of course. Try it with my easy vegetarian chili for a simple, satisfying dinner.

I’m actually up to my ears in this cornbread right now, because I decided to make three batches: one with dairy and eggs, one with dairy but no eggs, and one completely vegan. I’m happy to report that all three were enjoyable in their own right, but I’ve decided to keep working on the vegan version before posting it. The other two batches came out great, though, with the egg-free one just a little bit cakier than the batch with egg. I actually preferred it, though my husband liked the breadier texture better.

This cornbread is absolutely delicious warm out of the oven or cold from the fridge. It’s extremely flavorful – tender and buttery with wonderful jalapeño notes. While it’s fabulous on its own, I can’t help but fantasize about some delicious pairing ideas. In addition to the aforementioned bowl of chili, here are some of the ways I’ll be enjoying the three batches of cornbread I have on my hands:

• With collard greens and lentils
• As a sandwich – with cheddar and tomato
• By itself, cold from the fridge
• Warm, with butter or ghee
• Topped with avocado (growing up, my best friend and I were OBSESSED with cornbread & avocado)
• With tomato soup
• With Mexican-style black beans and sour cream
• “Loaded” – topped with beans, cilantro, tomato, avocado, cheddar, and salsa/sour cream
• With cajun-style tempeh or tofu and kale

I could keep going, but I don’t want to make you too hungry…

A couple notes about the recipe:

-Store this cornbread tightly wrapped in foil or plastic wrap in the fridge, or slice and store in an air-tight container. Enjoy straight from the fridge or heat slices in a 350° toaster oven until warm, about 8-10 minutes.

-This cornbread is low FODMAP as long as you use lactose-free sour cream and half & half and stick to about a slice per sitting so as not to exceed recommended amounts of almond flour.

-I used 1 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal brand Kosher salt in this recipe. Since Kosher salt is coarser than table salt, using 1 teaspoon of table salt will actually add more salt than called for, since it is more densely packed. Feel free to sub with any salt you wish to use, but just be careful to adjust the quantity so you don’t over-salt your cornbread!

-To make the cornbread egg free, increase the sour cream by 1 tablespoon (use 3 tablespoons total) and use a flax “egg.” (Combine 1 tablespoon freshly-ground golden flax meal with 3 tablespoons water, stir, and let sit in the fridge for about 15 minutes, until gelled.)

Jalapeño Cornbread

Dry ingredients:

• 1 cup organic corn flour
• 1 cup blanched almond flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Wet ingredients:

• 1 large egg (For egg free, see notes above.)
• 1 cup half and half (I used lactose-free)
• 2 tablespoons sour cream (I used lactose-free)
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted

Mix-in:

• 1 jalapeño pepper, deveined, mostly de-seeded (leave a few in for some added heat), and finely chopped

Directions:

Butter an 8″ round pan and preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir in the chopped jalapeño. Bake for about 27 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.