Sage & Honey Cornbread

Making cornbread from scratch is only marginally more difficult than making it from a boxed mix. And, while I do love me some Jiffy, I thought I would change things up & try some homemade. I was drawn to this recipe in particular because I could use my new cast iron skillet, it had the word "honey" in the title & I thought the addition of sage might be interesting.
I have to say that straight out of the oven, I questioned the sage, as it was quite overpowering. But, as it cooled, the flavor chilled out just enough that I really liked it. You can leave it out, if you wish. It would also probably be great with some thyme, or rosemary as well.

Begin by preheating the oven to 400 degrees. Place a 10" cast iron skillet into the oven & let it heat up while you prepare the batter {about 10 minutes}.
In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of cornmeal & 1 cup of flour.
Add 1 tablespoon of baking powder & 1 teaspoon of salt. Whisk it up.

Chop 2 teaspoons of fresh sage leaves & add them to the dry ingredients. Stir it in.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup of whole milk, a 1/2 cup of honey,

and 1 large egg.

Melt 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small saucepan, or in the microwave & add it to the egg mixture, whisking while adding it so you don't "cook" the eggs. Pour the egg mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients & stir until just combined. Do not overmix! It is okay to have lumps in the batter.

Remove the skillet from the oven. Melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in the already piping hot skillet. Swirl the butter around, to coat the pan well.
Pour the batter into the skillet & bake until the edges are browned & a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes.

Depending on how hot your skillet is, it may take even less time. So, keep an eye on it & try not to overcook it. Let it cool slightly, before inverting the pan onto a serving plate. Slice into wedges & serve.

Sage & Honey Cornbread

Adapted from Bon Appétit, November 2007
Serves 8

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup honey
1 large egg
1 stick unsalted butter {divided}

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a 10" cast iron skillet into the oven & let it heat up while you prepare the cornbread batter {about 10 minutes}.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder & salt, with a whisk. Add in the chopped sage & stir it in. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the milk, honey & egg together. Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan, or in the microwave & add it to the egg mixture, whisking while adding it so you don't "cook" the eggs.
Remove the skillet from the oven. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the already piping hot skillet. Swirl the butter around, to coat the pan well.
Pour the egg mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients & stir until just combined. Do not overmix! It is okay to have lumps in the batter.
Pour the batter into the skillet & bake until the edges are browned & a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes. Depending on how hot your skillet is, it may take even less time. So, keep an eye on it & try not to overcook it. Let it cool slightly, before inverting the pan onto a serving plate. Slice into wedges & serve.
Click here for the printable recipe.