with Honey Butter
Cast-iron skillets are for lovers—shouldn’t that be a T-shirt? Jessica loves any opportunity to cook with ours, broken in from years of preparing meals for our children. She will be the first to tell you that she sees cornbread mostly as a vehicle for eating honey butter, but with this recipe, the sweet-and-spicy buttermilk-based bread can stand on its own. If you like extra heat, leave the seeds in the jalapeño.
Serves 8 to 12
Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
3 tablespoons salted butter
1 cup chopped peaches (about 1 medium)
2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped (about 1/3 cup)
11/2 cups stone-ground yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
13/4 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
HONEY BUTTER
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons honey
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat; add the peaches and cook for 3 minutes, or until beginning to caramelize. Add the jalapeños; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Transfer the peach mixture to a bowl. Place the empty skillet in the oven.
3. Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the buttermilk and eggs in a small bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture to the cornmeal mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in the peach mixture.
4. Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and swirl the skillet to melt the butter. Pour the batter into the skillet and return it to the oven. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the cornbread is golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.
5. Meanwhile, to make the honey butter, stir together the butter and honey until smooth.
6. Serve the cornbread with the honey butter.