Mountain News Recipes - Easy, Healthy, Delicious Cornbread

This is my favorite cornbread. It's not Southern - white and sweet - but it's crunchy, has great flavor and is healthy-ish because it's made with wheat flour. People like this cornbread, especially served alongside jambalaya or chili. Holds together well. This recipe is from wholeliving.com. Really good.

Whole-Grain Skillet Cornbread

1 cup yellow cornmeal (or even better, get "Bob's Red Mill Medium Grind Cornmeal" - makes it crunchy)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tblsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk (see *note if you don't have any buttermilk for an easy substiution)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tblsp. oil of your choosing - olive, canola, bacon grease or lard (lard is best!)
2 Tblsp. honey (for topping)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Preheat an 8-inch cast iron pan or pie dish or 8x8 cake pan (cast iron is definitely best). In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk and 1/4 cup olive oil. Fold wet ingredients into dry and mix until just combined.  Put 1 Tblsp. of oil of your choice in  hot pan, swirling to coat the bottom. Pour in the batter and smooth the top. Bake until golden brown and a tester comes out clean, about 23 to 25 minutes. Brush the top with honey, then let it cool. (I don't let it cool. I eat it hot right from the oven with butter and more honey ALL over it. ;) )
This makes 8 wedges. Keeps well.

* Buttermilk substitution - Pour  1 cup milk into a measuring jar. Add 1 Tblsp. vinegar. Stir and let sit for a minute.  Voila. Buttermilk. I have used plain yogurt in place of the buttermilk and it worked well too.