The Best Corn Bread Ever

It has been several years since I made corn bread.  Meanwhile, during a cleaning and organizing mood I got rid of unused and lightly used cookbooks.  One of them had our family's favorite corn bread recipe but that was the only recipe I used out of that book. I specifically remember tearing that page out and keeping it. 

A day before the Super Bowl I decided to make tiny cornbread footballs for my son's Super Bowl party. He was making his secret Chili recipe that he won't share with me even though I have begged.   Alas, I could not find the corn bread recipe our family liked way back when. The main thing I remember about that recipe was that it had half all purpose flour and half cornmeal and no canned or frozen corn; which I don't prefer.

So I looked through all my cookbooks and tried several.  

The attempt that day was okay, but then I was on a tare to find a recipe we really liked.  

The first photo shows the mini footballs in the Demarle Boat Tartlet Tray.  The photo below is more of the cornbread in the small star tray which I also thought was fitting for the Super Bowl party.  These had jalepenos in them and sauted leeks.  I liked them but other's didn't.

Since then we and our guests have endured several attempts, some of which were bad.   I liked the jalepeno version but no one else did so that was a no go.  Then just two days ago my daughter and son in law let me know they have a favorite at their house.  It is Taste of Home Sweet Corn Bread.  They have a cherished copy of a Taste of Home Cook Book which they received as a wedding gift.

Last night I made the recipe and we agreed with them it is the best recipe ever...even better than the old one I could no longer find.

Of course I was not satisfied with that because whenever possible I like to make food with less white flour and sugar. So being my predictable self, this morning I made that recipe again but with some changes and decided it is the second best corn bread I’ve ever had.  This will probably be repeated in our house more than the original version because it is healthier.

1 cup Prairie Gold whole wheat flour (instead of all purpose)

1 cup cornmeal (Bob’s Red Mill, Medium Grind, Stone Ground)
1 Tablespoon sugar (instead of 1/4 cup) (next time I'll use honey)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder (aluminum free)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (instead of refined salt)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream (not light)
1/2 cup skim milk (instead of 1/3 c 2%)
1/4 cup butter, melted (do not substitute margarine)

Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk egg, sour cream, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.  Divide into 12 space Demarle heart tray.  Bake for 18 minutes at 400 degrees.

There was a little left over which didn’t fit in the heart tray so I thinned the remaining batter with milk and made into two pancakes for my husband's breakfast and he liked it enough to be repeated.

This is for today's lunch.  Left over cornbread from three different recipes.  The best one is on the far right...last night's version.  Not today's version which were sent off to friends for their breakfast and I forgot about a photo.