Home Made: Jalapeno Cheddar Parmesan Cornbread

Yes, I am a Southerner. Yes, I like grits, cornbread and a multitude of things that aren't really good for me.  But, what the heck, once in awhile you just have to go for it - you won't eat this every day, right?  I adapted this recipe from DamnDelicious, an amazing blog with a ton of useful links! I tweaked their recipe and here is my version - more jalapenos!

Instead of a muffin pan, I used a scone pan which reminds me of cornbread made in a cast iron skillet (which I will do next time for sure).  I also used a 6 muffin silicone muffin pan which really works well.  This recipe made 8 of the "scones" and 6 muffin sized pieces.



Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (I use unbleached)
• 1 cup cornmeal (I used a coarse stone ground corn meal from Virginia)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 1 cup lowfat cultured buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 large eggs (bring to room temperature)
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced, plus one thin slice for each "muffin"
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for topping (PLEASE do not use that stuff in a green can)
• 1/2 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar, plus more for topping

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Dry ingredients

 Spray the muffin pan (or scone pan) with non-stick cooking spray.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and pepper, to taste.

In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together the butter, buttermilk, honey and eggs.

  

How much do you love jalapenos?

 Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist.  Add the jalapeno, Parmesan and cheddar and gently toss to combine.

Again, my 50+ year old ice cream scoop come in handy!

 

Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin pan(s).

Top with sliced jalapeno, using your fingertips to gently press the jalapeno into the batter. Sprinkle with Parmesan and cheddar.

Before the cheese toppings

Cheddar and Parmesan topped

 Place into oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Indescribably delicious.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack (if you can resist).  No butter needed, these are moist and delicious.

Texas Style Food: Handmade Spicy Pork Tamales

 

I love tamales. I hate paying $2 each for them though.  We were invited to a family tamale making day by my friend Steven. I watched and helped with the masa application on the corn husks. It was fun and I just knew I would end up doing it myself.  And I did. It is amazing what a Boston butt pork roast can become.  Homemade sauce, made from spicy smoked Ancho chiles. The photo above was my final product: 5 dozen spicy pork tamales.  They are delicious.  It is easier than you might think!

 

 Ready to steam!

Steaming away under cover of a cotton napkin - helps concentrate the heat and steam for a delicious finale!

Texas Style Food: Chile Piquin Jelly

Years ago, my friend Steven told me about this tiny little wild pepper that his mother, Margaret, would use to make homemade salsa. I have been growing these little hot as hellfire little peppers for the past three seasons in containers on my patio.  On a whim, because I have never made jelly before this, I just decided to try to make them into jelly.  This is the odyssey - photos and all.

Start by sterilizing the jars - no nasty bacteria for this jelly!


I boiled them for 15 minutes and then let them stay on simmer to keep the jars warm. Jars should be hot when you fill them with the recently cooked jelly to avoid cracking.

These are the Chile Piquins I picked from my backyard. Don't let their tiny size fool you. These babies are HOT!


They are so small, it's impossible to open and get the seeds out which the recipe called for, so I left them whole. 

I finely chopped (1) red bell pepper and added the Chile Piquins (1/2c) in a small food processor and ground them to a paste. That got added to the sugar (5c) and apple cider(3c) vinegar. EDIT: I also used one pouch of store bought liquid pectin so that it would set up properly.  I omitted that from my first post!

It all gets barely boiled together to produce the most amazing, aromatic, deliciously sweet-hot flavor you have ever had!

I strained the jelly as it went into the jars, so no seeds made it in - with the exception of the last jar where I put all the seeds and pulp and processed it.  It should prove to be the hottest 6oz. of pure hellfire ever and was presented to my friend Steven because he was the inspiration for my jelly making afternoon.

Once its done, and after its been processed in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes, when you take the jars out and they sit on the counter... they have a little "PING!" as they seal.  And you know, you just KNOW, later that freshness is going to be ready for you to enjoy.


On a piece of rare red meat... used as a glaze on a roasted chicken... on a piece of roasted pork... paired with creme fraiche on pita chips... DELICIOUS. Have a very cold, very dry vodka martini, settle back... and enjoy it.