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Cranberry and Jalapeño Cornbread with Whipped Honey Butter

by Molly

I am a bit of a purist when it comes to my Thanksgiving menu; I have a handful of recipes I have developed over the years that I love and I tend to stick to the classics when planning my menu.  That said, last year because of the pandemic, we didn’t really celebrate Thanksgiving.  I was about two days away from having a baby on the big day of the dumpster fire that was 2020 so our holiday spread was pretty modest. Naturally, I have to make up for lost time and go big this year so I started dreaming up some recipes that will hopefully become new family favorites.

First up is this cranberry cornbread with whipped honey butter. If there is one thing that every holiday menu can use more of, it’s bread.  We usually have a sourdough stuffing and parker house rolls on the docket, but cornbread is always a welcome addition!  This mostly savory cornbread gets a hit of heat thanks to fresh jalapeños and a touch of pleasant tartness from fresh cranberries. Plus, no shade to the jiffy packet we all grew up with, but this cornbread has a lovely texture thanks to the richness the buttermilk and sour cream provide. No dry cornbread allowed on my watch!

This is a super easy recipe to throw together for your Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving table.  As much as I love a make-ahead number, this will definitely be best when made and served on the same day. 

  • Servings: 10
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

    For the Cornbread:

  • 1 1/2 cups cornmeal (255 grams)
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour (60 grams)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (6 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (4 grams)
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk (368 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons honey (42 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons full fat sour cream (30 grams)
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries (100 grams)
  • 1 jalapeño, chopped
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (57 grams)

    • For the Whipped Honey Butter:

  • 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter (113 grams), at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup fresh cranberries, roughly chopped (33 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons honey (42 grams)
  • Flaky salt, as needed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. Remove 1 tablespoon of dry mixture and set aside. To the remaining dry ingredients, add buttermilk, honey, sour cream and egg and whisk until smooth.

Add reserved dry mixture to a medium bowl with the cranberries and toss until each berry is coated. Add the berries and jalapeño to the batter and fold with a spatula until combined.

Once the oven reaches 375˚F add butter to a 10 inch cast iron skillet and heat for 5 minutes, or until the butter is melted and bubbling. Scrape batter into the hot skillet, then bake for 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the cornbread is golden brown on top and deep brown on the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly while you make the whipped honey butter.

To make the whipped honey butter add all of the ingredients to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip until the cranberries begin to break down and the butter is light and fluffy.

To serve, spread the whipped honey butter on warm cornbread, adding a bit more flaky salt if desired.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

  1. I’ve had the bourbon shortbread cookies and they taste like a true “Old Fashion”.

CategoriesAutumn Breakfast Brunch Christmas Dinner Egg Flour Honey Thanksgiving Winter
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