“CAN’T BEAT IT” BACON BUTTERMILK CORNBREAD

Buttermilk is sort of a magical ingredient in baking. It has a tendency to make baked goods rich and moist. And this cornbread is no exception—it’s seriously decadent. Pairing the bacon and Cheddar with the maple butter makes this recipe hard to beat.

CORNBREAD

6 slices bacon

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

¼ cup (½ stick) butter, melted

¾ cup freshly shredded Cheddar cheese

MAPLE BUTTER

¼ cup (½ stick) butter, softened

¼ cup maple syrup

For the cornbread, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until it is crisp. Drain on paper towels. When it’s cool enough to handle, crumble the bacon. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the drippings, and use it to grease an 8-inch square baking dish.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and butter in a small bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture to the cornmeal mixture, stirring until just combined. Fold in the crumbled bacon and cheese, and pour the batter into the baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean.

For the maple butter, in a small bowl mix together the butter and maple syrup until well combined. Serve with the baked cornbread.

MAKES 12 SERVINGS.