Makes 6 to 8 servings. When the temperature drops and the trees begin shedding their leaves, I like to hold a fall potluck supper at my family’s barn and invite the entire family, including aunts, uncles, and cousins. We set up a long table outside and decorate it with pinecones and wildflowers. And then the food starts hitting the table: venison roast, acorn squash soufflé, and all the other sides you would imagine at a seasonal Southern potluck. My Sweet Potato Cornbread, a favorite of the youngest partygoers, is cooked and served in a cast-iron skillet and topped with creamy butter and a drizzle of honey. It is a bread that serves like a dessert.
Cinnamon Butter
½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Sweet Potato Cornbread
1 medium sweet potato
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 large egg
½ cup low-fat buttermilk
1 cup fat-free milk
2 cups fine stone-ground yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Honey for garnish
To make the cinnamon butter, combine the butter and cinnamon in a small bowl. Mix well. Use immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the cornbread, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Bake the sweet potato on a baking sheet for about 1 hour, until soft. Remove the skin and transfer the pulp to the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth.
Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F.
Pour 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet. Place the skillet in the oven for 5 minutes or until the oil is sizzling hot.
Combine the sweet potato puree, remaining ¼ cup oil, egg, buttermilk, and milk in a medium bowl. Whisk until combined. Add the cornmeal, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne. Stir until well blended. Pour the batter into the hot skillet.
Bake for 22 to 25 minutes. Turn the cornbread out onto a serving plate. Serve warm with the Cinnamon Butter and honey.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.