Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer
Made in an old-fashioned cast-iron corn stick pan, this jalapeno-studded cornbread will make everyone at the table smile. And if you don’t have this particular pan, don’t worry. You can use three 12-cup mini muffin pans and make 32 small corn muffins instead.
How to Make It
Step 1
Preheat oven to 425°F. Place 2 (7-stick [5 1/2-inch-long]) cast-iron corn stick pans on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer baking sheet to oven. Preheat 15 minutes.
Step 2
Meanwhile, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside.
Step 3
Cook corn, jalapeño, scallions, and 8 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium, stirring often, until mixture is softened, about 3 minutes. Set aside; cool 5 minutes.
Step 4
Whisk together eggs, half-and-half, and sugar in a bowl. Add to flour mixture, whisking until smooth. Stir in jalapeño mixture and cheese.
Step 5
Remove hot corn stick pans from oven. Brush molds evenly with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Divide batter evenly among molds (about 3 tablespoons each). Bake until sticks are puffed and golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes. Serve warm, or turn sticks out onto a wire rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Chef's Notes
Make Mini Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat 3 (12-cup) mini muffin pans with cooking spray; set aside. Proceed with Steps 2 through 4 as directed. For Step 5, divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin pans (about 2 tablespoons each), filling 32 cavities. Working in 2 batches, bake until a wooden pick inserted in centers of muffins comes out clean, about 12 minutes. Serve warm, or remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack, approximately 30 minutes.
(Makes about 32 muffins)
