Mel Makes & Bakes: Cornbread (or Muffins)

I've always loved cornbread, but for a lot of my life, my experience with this Southern staple was reduced to the kind of cornbread that comes in a boxed mix... You know what I mean. And while those mixes are cheap and taste okay, the first time my friend gave me a piece of her REAL cornbread, I knew I could never go back. This is the real deal. Buttery and only slightly crumbly, quick and easy.

This is actually a choose-your-own-adventure recipe: You can opt for an 8 x 8" pan, which is perfect for cutting up and throwing in a bowl of chili, OR, to maximize those amazing crispy golden-brown edges, you can make a pan of muffins.

That delightful crunch on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside... This is my new favorite thing.

Cornbread

From: my friend Chrissy's mom

Makes: 8 x 8" pan OR 9-12 muffins

You'll need:

1 c flour

3/4 c cornmeal

2-4 T sugar (depending how sweet you want it)

1 T baking powder

1 t salt

1 egg

2/3 c milk

1/3 c butter, very soft

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease an 8 x 8" baking dish OR a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat together the egg, milk, and butter. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, mixing until just combined.

For the pan, pour into the greased dish and bake for 20-25 minutes, until top is golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

For muffins, spoon evenly into 9-12 muffins.