Cornbread

By fuzzygroup

Ingredients

• 4 tsp bacon drippings (with any bits of leftover bacon strained out)
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup rapidly boiling water
• 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 large egg beaten lightly

Preparation

Step 1

1. Set oven rack to lower middle position and heat to 450. Set an 8" cast iron skillet with the bacon drippings in the heating oven.

2. Measure 1/3 cup cornmeal into a medium bowl. Whisk the remaining cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda together in a small bowl; set aside.

3. Pour boiling water all at once into the 1/3 cup cornmeal; stir to make a stiff mush. Whisk in the buttermilk gradually breaking up lumps until smooth and then whisk in the egg. When the oven is preheated and the skillet is very hot, stir the dry ingredients into the mush mixture until just moistened. Carefully remove skillet from oven.

4. Pour hot bacon fat from the pan into the batter and stir to incorporate, then quickly pour the batter into the heated skillet. Bake until golden brown about 20 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack and then serve immediately.