sweet heat cornbread.
I have to admit, I’ve been sitting on this one for a while, but it is worth the wait. Before I share this recipe, I have a disclaimer: if you’re looking for a traditional, southern cornbread, this is not it. I’m a native Minnesotan and a recent Atlanta transplant, southern cooking hasn’t quite rubbed off on me yet. That being said, no one has ever turned down this cornbread and people rarely say no to a second piece.
There are two reasons that this cornbread is to die for: the jalapeno-honey glaze and the secret ingredient, yellow cake mix. This is more of a dessert than a side. For those of you with children or other family members, my original recipe isn’t actually spicy. Not even the jalapeno-honey glaze but I have a few tricks up my sleeve when it comes to adding a kick!
P.S. Remember Queen Bee Chili? Sweet Heat Cornbread is it’s perfect match and these two will make an easy and cozy fall meal.
Sweet Heat Cornbread
Ingredients:
2 C of stone-ground cornmeal
9 oz of yellow cake mix
2 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of salt
¼ tsp of cayenne pepper
½ C of milk
½ C of buttermilk (no substitutes, no DIY; trust me, it makes it weird)
¼ C of vegetable oil
2 T of light brown sugar
3 T of honey
2 T of mayonnaise
*For a kick, add ¾ - 1 tsp of cayenne.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Whisk the dry ingredients (cornmeal, cake mix, baking powder, salt, and cayenne) together.
In a separate bowl, mix the milk, buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, brown sugar, and honey together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, then fold in the mayonnaise. Set the fridge for thirty minutes to one hour.
Pour the batter into a 9 x 9 pan, I prefer glass. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool and make glaze.
Jalapeno Honey Glaze
Ingredients:
1 ½ C butter
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
¼ C of honey
¼ tsp of cayenne
Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the jalapeno and bring to a simmer.
Add honey and cayenne, bring it to a simmer and occasionally stir.
Brush the glaze onto the cornbread.