Individual Jalapeno Corn Bread Loaves

From David Rosengarten's Thanksgiving Dinner Menu, November 2003

Adapted from It's All American Food by David Rosengarten (Little, Brown 2003).

12 miniloaves

It is worth acquiring individual loaf tins just to make this recipe; everyone loves getting his or her own corn bread loaf at the Thanksgiving meal. However, the recipe can also be made in any single loaf pan - just as long as the uncooked batter fills the pan somewhere between halfway and two-thirds of the way to the top. The baking will, of course, take longer.

• 1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal
• 2 cups sifted flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon plus 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons butter, melted, plus extra butter for greasing pans
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 jumbo eggs, beaten
• 6 ounces warm corn kernels
• 4 ounces cheddar cheese, grated (about 1 1/4 loosely packed cups)
• 6 tablespoons chopped scallions
• Minced fresh jalapeno peppers to taste (1/4 to 1/2 cup), seeded
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. In a bowl combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

3. In another bowl whisk together the melted butter, buttermilk, milk, and beaten eggs. Add the dry ingredients, and just combine. Then fold in the corn kernels, cheddar cheese, scallions, jalapeno, and cilantro.

4. Pour the mixture into buttered loaf pans 1½ by 1½ by 3 inches, filling them two-thirds full. Bake for 20 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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