Cornbread is a country-style delight that features fluffy insides, perfect crumbs, and overall buttery goodness. Whenever I need a quick, not-too-sweet fix, Cracker Barrel is my go-to place for heavenly and aromatic corn muffins. I fell in love the first time I had them, and then the second time around when I discovered this Cracker Barrel cornbread recipe! Done in 30 minutes or less, you can recreate the famous corn muffins of Cracker Barrel and devour this quick dish without the long drive. If you tried to crack the code for Cracker Barrel’s corn muffins, you’re in luck! Now you’ll have the exact recipe.
Cracker Barrel Cornbread
I guess we can all agree that Cracker Barrel is hard to beat when it comes to down-home country cooking. Their food is simple, comforting, and unpretentious. Cornbread is a dish that originated from Native American cuisine. It’s a light, golden-brown bread containing cornmeal. It’s crumbly in texture, but not to where it’s messy to eat. Cornbread can be sweet, more like a dessert, which you can pair with milk and cream. Its savory version is also tasty and is a fantastic pair with hot chili. Creating your own cornbread recipe is no easy feat. When done wrong, it can come out dry, dense, or bland. This Cracker Barrel recipe is so easy. The ingredients might just be lurking around your kitchen. Balancing the flavor is a little tricky, but don’t worry because I’m here to guide you. Let’s get to making this classic, freshly baked cornbread!
Ingredients
Self-rising flour. A combination of staples in your pantry, made of all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. This flour allows the bread to rise even without using yeast. Yellow cornmeal. A must-have in this recipe. Yellow cornmeal is the key to achieving the golden-brown color of corn muffins and their grainy consistency. Sugar. You need just enough to add a touch of sweetness to the bread. Eggs. Another must-have, as they help the bread rise. Butter. This gives a moist texture and rich flavor to the cornbread. Buttermilk. Adding this in will bring lightness and tenderness to your baked goods. Honey. It adds extra sweetness to the cornbread without being over the top.
Tips for Making Cornbread
You need not be a pro at baking to make a delectable side or dessert, such as cornbread. However, a few tips will help you achieve the ideal cornbread texture.
Consider adding one more teaspoon of baking powder for a fluffier cornbread. If you like a denser version, leave the baking powder out.Don’t over-mix your batter to avoid a gummy or crumbly cornbread. The perfect consistency is a loose batter that’s almost a little watery. If it’s dense and thick, you’ll have a cornbread brick.Avoid using too much cornmeal. This will cause a dry and crumbly cornbread. A little bit of crumble is normal. You don’t want cornbread that feels like wet sand.For a sweeter, cake-like cornbread, using yellow cornmeal is your best bet. White cornmeal is a less common variant that’s also okay to use. Just remember that this yields a muted, less bold flavor than yellow cornmeal.
What Exactly is Cornmeal?
Cornmeal is ground yellow or white corn, with coarse, medium, and fine consistencies. It’s almost granular but still powdery in texture. Yellow cornmeal is the more popular variant. You’ll find it at any supermarket near you. Cornmeal is a versatile pantry staple. You can use it for other baked goods besides cornbread. Think scones, biscuits, cakes, cookies — you name it! It’s easy to confuse cornmeal with polenta, cornflour, and corn grits. Here’s a rundown of their key differences (or lack thereof).
Polenta has a similar taste and semi-similar texture to cornmeal. However, the former is a dish, not an ingredient.Cornmeal and cornflour are both made from milled and dried corn, but they differ in texture. Also, between the two, cornmeal has a more distinct corn taste.Corn grits are a little coarser than the traditional cornmeal. Overall though, their flavor and texture are mighty close to one another. So use the grits if you can’t get your hands on some cornmeal.
What to Serve With Cracker Barrel Cornbread
As a cornbread lover, I enjoy eating this fluffy treat even with no sides! This quick bread is such a staple at home. From dusk till dawn, here’s what to serve with this golden delight. Breakfast: Squares of cornbread, toasted, and topped with butter and honey. It’s a fantastic way to start the morning! If you have extra time, transform the dish into cornbread French toast. Lunch or Dinner: Have some savory corn muffins? You can pair them with anything that has a sweet and tangy sauce, like meaty BBQ ribs or baked beans. Any time of the day: When feeling snacky, cornbread is your friend. The best pairing I’ve had is a baked potato and crumbly bacon topped with chili, and of course, served with scrumptious cornbread on the side. Click on a star to rate it!
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