Corn Tortillas – Tortillas de Maiz
This recipe is very frugal as it only uses three ingredients – water, corn flour, and baking powder. A batch will last you a few days to a week, and these tortillas are a great healthy and cheap substitute to bread.
Here’s the recipe:
Here is my recipe for THE perfect tortilla. This recipe makes about 20-30 tortillas and can be doubled or halved if you desire to make more or less. Although tortillas are usually eaten with other food, such as meat, rice, or vegetables, they are just as good eaten by themselves as well!
Ingredients:
-3 cups of Instant Corn Flour treated with lime, (this flour is known in Spanish as “harina de maiz”. I use the “Masa Brosa” brand)
-5 cups of lukewarm tap water (agua tibia)
-1 tsp. of baking powder
Directions:
-In a large bowl, combine 3 cups of corn flour with baking soda and mix together.
-Add 4 1/2 cups of water and mix together with your hands until combined.
-Add final 1/2 cup of water slowly, mixing thoroughly with hands until fully incorporated.
-Pre-heat three or more nonstick skillets on high/medium high.
-Begin to form medium sized balls out of the masa with your hands.
-Place each ball of masa dough between two plastic baggies and flatten the balls by pressing down with a plate.
-Remove flattened dough from baggies and place onto hot skillet.
-Repeat process until all dough balls have been cooked – about 1-2 minutes on each side.
-Place cooked tortillas on metal wrack to cool.
Broccolli Cornbread
- 1 box of Jiffy cornbread mix
- 1 cup of cottage cheese
- 2 sticks of butter (softened)
- 4 eggs
- 10 ounce package of frozen Broccoli set out and let thaw a little
Chop broccoli into fine pieces.
Mix cornbread mix, butter, and cottage cheese together in separate bowl.
Mix in eggs and broccoli to cornbread mixture.
Put mixture in baking dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until knife comes out clean in the middle.
This was great at Thanksgiving. I doubled it and baked it in a throw away metal pan for easy clean up.
Easy Baked Corn Dogs
I came up with this one week when I had a surplus of hot dogs after a large cookout. I love corn dogs and so do my kids, but they are too darn greasy! I wanted to make a healthier and easy version, and this seemed to take the cake! It was a huge hit with all four kids and husband!
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup veg oil or melted butter/shortening
1 1/2 cups self-rising yellow corn meal mix
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 large ear of corn, cooked and kernels removed- or 1 can sweet whole kernel corn
(for a tex-mex version put in these other add ins: minced dried onions, can green chilies or minced jalapenos and diced red pepper)
8-10 hot dogs (we use turkey franks)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar, divided
Preheat oven to 450. Grease 9×12 glass dish. In large bowl, combine all ingredients except the hot dogs and 1/2 cup of cheese. Pour into greased dish and spread evenly. Place whole hot dogs gently on top of mix in rows, not letting them touch, leaving about 1/2 inch of space along edge and a little less of an inch between hot dogs. Do not submerge them.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cornbread is golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle reserved 1/2 cup cheese and let sit until cheese has melted.
To serve, cut in rectangles around the hot dogs and top with ketchup and mustard if desired.
You can easily omit corn, cheese, and any other add ins to keep the recipe simple and more “picky” kid friendly.
Anytime Corn Fritters
- 1 1/2 cups of cream style corn
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 2 eggs, beaten with a fork
- 1 1/2 cups of flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
- dash salt
- dash black pepper
- oil for frying
In a large bowl, pour the cream style corn, liquid and all. Then mix in the half-and-half and the beaten egg. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Then fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until you have a nice dough formed.
Pour enough oil in a large cast iron skillet to almost cover the fritters when dropped in, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Heat the oil hot enough to sizzle when you start dropping the batter in.
Take a tablespoon and form fritters about the size of golf balls, quickly dropping them into the hot oil. Let the fritters turn a golden brown, rolling them around until they get brown all over. Remove them quickly as they get done and let them drain on a rack covered with paper towels.
Serve the fritters with any sort of dipping sauce you like.
I like this recipe because you can make it any time of the year. When I can get corn on the cob in the summer, I use a different recipe, but when we’re huddled inside the house on a cold winter night, this recipe works just great!
Summer Celebration Corn Fritters
- 12 ears of corn (not real tender or white corn, or white/yellow blend)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
- pinch black pepper if desired
- oil for frying
Husk your corn and remove all the silk. Then cut kernels off the corn cobs into a big bowl. Next, scrape the pulp off of the cobs with a metal spatula or the back of your knife. Be sure you do this in a bowl to capture all the good juice and pulp. Feed the cobs to the ducks, deer, or other needy critters.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix together well with a wooden spoon, being sure that you don’t “whip” it; just blend it.
Form fritters with your hands, making the fritters about 2 inches in diameter or about two to three bites each. Flatten them just a bit. You really don’t want ball shaped fritters because they are harder to fry evenly.
Pour enough frying oil into a deep cast iron skillet to just about cover the fritters, about 1/2 inch. Get the oil hot enough so the fritters sizzle when you drop them in. Drop a few fritters in at a time (don’t crowd them) and fry them quickly, flip them, and fry them on the other side. Remove and drain on a rack with paper towels. Be sure you use a rack so the fritters don’t sweat and get soggy.
This is a great recipe to get kids to eat their vegetables. Corn tends to taste pretty sweet, but if you want to add a sprinkle of sugar or a tiny bit of honey to the ingredients to entice your kids to eat them, go right ahead. However, you could just serve them with a little bowl of honey for dipping and that would do the trick, too.
Indian Pudding Recipe
Here is a fun dessert that celebrates Thanksgiving history. Don’t forget to use this opportunity to talk to your kids about the history Native Americans played in the first Thanksgiving while you make this pudding dessert with them.
- 1 quart plus 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup Indian meal (aka cornmeal)
- 1 cup molasses
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ice-cream (optional)
Bring a quart of milk to its boiling point but do not go into rapid boil. Combine the cornmeal with 1/2 cup cold milk and add this to the hot milk stirring very well! In a baking dish blend together molasses, sugar, eggs, salt, cinnamon, ginger, butter and remaining 1/2 cup of milk. Add the cornmeal mixture to the baking dish spreading out evenly. Bake for 3 hours at 300 degrees F. Serve while hot and with ice cream on the side.
Spoon Bread Recipe
- 2 c. corn meal
- 2 c. boiling water
- 3 large Tbsp. butter, melted
- 1 tsp. salt
- 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 3 eggs
Sift meal three times, dissolve in boiling water, mix until smooth and free of lumps. Add melted butter and salt. Thin with milk. Separate eggs; beat whites until light; add the yolks THEN the whites. Pour into greased (tall) baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes to 1 hour until “scoopable.” Serve warm in same dish.
Cornbread Stuffing Recipe
- Cornbread, stale and torn into chunks (the equivalent to a 9 X 13 pans worth)
- 2 cups of turkey or chicken broth
- 2 stalks celery, chopped finely
- 1/2 onion
- 3 carrots, chopped finely1/2 pound sausage, crumbled (can be leftover breakfast sausage, I like Sausage with Sage)
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine
Saute the celery, carrots and onion in a skillet until the onions are translucent. Cook sausage. Combine the cornbread, veggies and sausage in a 9 X 13 pan. Pour broth over entire thing, dot with butter or margarine and put in refrigerator so flavors can meld a bit. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
When I am feeling wealthy I might use 1 pound of sausage and add pecans which is yummy but ups the price.
Submitted by HBHW reader Kathryn
Corn Casserole
This is a real “hit” at potlucks and so easy to make.
1 can whole corn
1 can cream corn
2 eggs
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
1/4 cup sugar (or any other sweetener you prefer)
Mix all together in a bowl and pour into a buttered 9 x 13 glass dish
Bake at 350 degrees until lightly brown on top (about 30-40 min.)
Veggie Corn Fritters
Mix 1 cup of fine grind white corn meal with enough water so that it becomes mush (add water slow so you do not get too much) add salt to taste- approximate 1/2 tsp.
Set aside while you assemble a pile of fine chopped veggies (approximate 1 cup. Things, like onion, bell pepper, carrot, tender green bean, jalapeño. Whatever little pieces you have left over.) Mix with corn meal.
I use Olive oil, but use whatever you have on hand and pan fry on a medium heat. Dip out by a heaping tablespoon and flatten out in fry pan, turn as it browns and gets crispy on edges.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese or eat with cream cheese.
These make great snacks. This recipe has a lot of latitude and a good cook can use her imagination.
Corn Chowder
- 2 tablespoons margarine
- 1 onion, small, minced
- 1/2 cup celery, minced
- 1 tablespoon flour, all-purpose
- 2 1/4 cups milk, skim
- 2 8-10 ounce bags frozen corn
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white peppers, ground
- 1/8 teaspoon thyme, ground
- Paprika
Melt margarine in a heavy 2 quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and saut� 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in the flour and cook it for 1 minute. Be sure to stir the mixture the whole time or the flour will burn.
Slowly add the milk and keep stirring until the mixture is thick and bubbly. Add the corn, salt, pepper and thyme and simmer the soup for 20 minutes.
Just before serving, puree half the soup in blender or food processor. Or you can use your whisk to mash some of it up right in the pot. Return the mixture to saucepan and mix with remaining soup. Sprinkle some paprika in each bowl of soup when you serve it.
Cornmeal Mush
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup cold tap water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups hot tap water
In a small bowl, combine the cornmeal and cold tap water. Meanwhile, in a 2 quart pan, combine the salt and hot water. Bring it to a boil over high heat. While the water is heating, add the cornmeal mixed with the cold water. Combining the cornmeal with cool water before adding it to the boiling water keeps the cornmeal from lumping up when it hits the hot water. When the water and cornmeal boil, reduce the heat to low. Allow the mush to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until it is nicely thickened. If your cornmeal is less than fresh, you may add half a tablespoon of sugar to make it taste fresher and sweeter. This is very hearty for breakfast, and also makes a nice snack in the middle of the day. I like it with a little margarine and shredded cheese, but it is equally good with sugar or molasses and milk. This recipe serves 4 to 6 people depending on how hungry they are. Of all the breakfast cereals you can buy, this one is the least expensive. We try to have it at least twice a week, sometimes more often because it is so cheap.
Bacon, Eggs & Cheese Grits
- 1 cup grits
- 1/4 cup margarine (half a stick)
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups shredded cheese
- 6 to 8 ounces bacon
- 4 medium eggs
- 1 cup milk
Take out a 3 or 4 quart sized saucepan. In it, combine the grits, margarine, water and salt. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the grits for about 10 minutes. They will be thick and a little creamy. Immediately stir in the cheese until it melts.
While the grits are cooking, fry up your bacon until it is nice and crispy. Allow it to drain a little bit on some paper towels or a brown paper bag. Then crumble it up. Stir it into the grits after stirring in the cheese. While the grits and bacon are cooking, combine the eggs and milk in a bowl. Mix them up until the eggs are completely emulsified with the milk. Stir this mixture into the grits mixture last. Beat it quickly so the eggs aren’t tempted to cook in the hot environment of the cooked grits. I use a whisk to be sure everything gets mixed up just right.
Turn the grits, bacon, eggs and cheese into a well oiled 9 by 13-inch pan. Bake at 350F for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve hot with fresh fruit and plenty of coffee. This can be served for breakfast or for lunch. Either way it serves 8 folks heartily.
Cooked Grits
- 1 cup quick cooking grits
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoons salt
Grits are a little easier to cook than cornmeal. They don’t have the same tendency to stick to the bottom of the pan, or lump together in a large mass. They are very inexpensive, especially when purchased in 5 pound bags, and cook quickly too. Get out a 2 quart saucepan. In it combine the grits, water and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. The instructions will tell you to cook them for 5 minutes, but the grits are better after 10 minutes. Serve hot with eggs and sausage for breakfast.
Caramel Corn
- 8 cups popped popcorn
- 1 cup peanuts (optional)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup margarine
- 3 tablespoons corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon each salt & baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Arrange the popcorn (and peanuts, if you are using them) in a well oiled 9″ by 13″ pan. Get out a 2 quart sauce pan and combine the brown sugar, margarine, corn syrup and salt over low heat. After the margarine melts, cook without stirring for 3 minutes. It should be bubbling gently during the 3 minutes. Stir in the baking soda and vanilla. Quickly pour this over the pan of popcorn. Mix gently to coat the popcorn evenly. Bake the pan at 300 degrees for about 15 minutes. Break it up into pieces and serve. This stuff is so good that it doesn’t last long, but if you do end up with leftovers, store them in a sealed container, or bag. It is good tucked into lunch boxes too.
This is similar to Cracker Jack, except the prize is that it costs so little and is so easy to make. Besides that, the flavor is soooo much better, you will always look on the boxed stuff as inferior after tasting this recipe.
Easy Corn Fritters
- 15 oz can corn (drain and reserve juice)
- 2 medium eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Bacon grease or margarine for frying
Drain the liquid from the the canned corn. Measure 1/4 cup of it, and discard the rest. In a medium sized bowl combine the corn juice you’ve just measured and the eggs. Use a whisk to beat them smooth. Add the salt, flour, baking powder and sugar. Mix really well, until there are no lumps. Add the drained corn and mix again. Heat about 2 tablespoons of bacon grease or margarine in a large iron skillet over medium high heat. When the fat is hot, it’s time to drop in the fritters. I drop about 1/4 of a cup of batter for each fritter, cooking about 3 or 4 together in the same pan. Fry them just like pancakes, turning them, after the under side is crispy brown. They cook a little slower than pancakes, because they are thicker. After they have browned on both sides, transfer them to a plate to keep warm. Add more fat to the pan as necessary. This recipe makes about 8 or 9 fritters. I usually double it because they are so popular.
I serve the fritters with applesauce, or Pancake Syrup or just plain with more margarine for the kids. They can take the place of both starch and bread in a meal. For lunch, or a light supper, make Scalloped Tomatoes, Corn Fritters, and serve fruit and yogurt for dessert. Delicious!
Kettle Corn
- 1/3 cup corn oil
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
- Salt to taste
Over a medium-high flame, heat the corn oil in the bottom of a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Sprinkle in 2 or 3 popcorn kernels. When the kernels pop add the sugar, and then the remaining popcorn. Cover with a good lid. Shake the pan over the heat while the popcorn pops. When the popping stops, remove the pan from the heat. Immediately pour the hot popcorn into a bowl. Try to remove any oldmaids with a spoon or fork. The popcorn will be hot and sticky so be very careful not to burn yourself. The popcorn should be lightly coated with a beautiful amber caramel. Salt the kettle corn to taste and serve to thankful recipients. Makes a large bowlful. Tastes best late at night while watching a scary movie with friends and family.
Cornmeal Pancakes
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 medium egg
- oil for frying
In a good sized mixing bowl combine the cornmeal, sugar or honey, and salt. Add the boiling water. The cornmeal will swell up into a lumpy mess. That’s alright, don’t worry about it. Stir the lumpy mess vigorously with a whisk or fork until it is a thick batter. Let it cool down a little bit. Add the flour, baking powder, milk and egg. Keep stirring the batter until it is nice and smooth. Drop the mixture by 1/3 cupfuls onto a hot, greased skillet. Fry until the underside is golden brown, and the top side bubbles a bit. Turn the pancakes over and continue frying until well browned.
Stack on a plate and serve with applesauce, or pancake syrup. Another option is to serve them as the hot bread with a main meal like soup, or chili. I like them with split pea soup especially, but they are versatile enough to go with many different entreés.
Cornmeal Muffins
- 1/2 cup oil, or melted shortening
- 2 medium eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk, or yogurt, or sour milk (powdered buttermilk is fine)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup flour
Into your favorite big bowl, measure the oil or melted shortening. Crack in the eggs and add the buttermilk (or other milk product). Beat with a whisk until thoroughly combined. Add the salt, sugar, soda, cornmeal and flour. Stir casually, but not too aggressively. When mixed, but still lumpy stop stirring. Oil up a dozen muffin cups. Divide the batter evenly amongst the muffin cups. Bake at 400F for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before eating. These are very very good. Perfect for company meals with a nice pot of homemade chili.
Of course that’s not the only muffin recipe in the bread section. You may also want to try making the plain muffins.
My Best Cornbread
- 1/2 cup margarine (1 stick)
- 1-1/2 cups buttermilk (powdered buttermilk is fine, or even yogurt or sour milk would work)
- 2 medium eggs
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
You really need an iron skillet to make this, but if you just don’t have one, a nine inch square or round cake pan will do. Get your large iron skillet, or 9″ pan and put the margarine in it. Put the pan into the oven at 400° allowing the margarine to melt, and the pan to heat.
In a large bowl combine the buttermilk, eggs, sugar and salt. Use a whisk to mix it up really well. Pour in the melted margarine, leaving about a tablespoon of it left in the hot pan. Be careful pouring so you don’t get burned. Beat everything up again. Finally add the cornmeal, flour and baking soda. Whisk again until the batter is mostly smooth. Turn the batter into the hot skillet or pan, on top of the little bit of margarine you saved in it. Carefully put the skillet back into the oven. Bake the cornbread at 400° for about 25 minutes. It will be golden brown and the edges will pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool a little while before slicing into 8 or 12 wedges.
The iron skillet gives this cornbread the traditional crispy hillbilly crust. Another pan will still cook it, but it will not be quite the same. The buttermilk and sugar make the cornbread very tender and sweet. A perfect accompaniment for spicy dishes like Chili and stew. This is the best cornbread I have ever eaten, there is another recipe though, of a heartier and coarser nature, which is a little easier to make, Plain Cornbread.
If you’re not in the mood to make a whole bread, try this cornmeal muffin recipe instead
Hush Puppies
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 tablespoons dry onion
- 1 medium egg
- 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk or yogurt (powdered buttermilk is fine)
In a medium sized mixing bowl combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and dry onion. When everything is well distributed, stir in the egg and buttermilk. Stir it up until everything is evenly moistened. The batter will be thick like muffin batter. Drop the batter by smallish spoonfuls into deep hot fat, about 375°. Try not to crowd the pan as you fry them. Turn when the underside is done, and continue frying until both sides are golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve hot. These are traditionally served with fish, but they are good with casseroles too, and also with salmon loaf. This amount is enough for a family of 6.
Why are they called Hush Puppies? The way I’ve heard it goes like this…
In the old days, the kitchen was often located in a small side building detached from the main house (to reduce the chance of the main house going up in flames). Servents would carry plates and bows of food from the kitchen building to the main house. Of course the dogs roaming around would smell the food and demand their share by barking loudly. Cooks would cook up little fried balls of cornmeal batter and those would then be given to the dogs to “hush” them while the food made it’s way to the main house. Thus the name “Hush Puppies”
Here’s another popular bread recipe. This one is for oatmeal muffins. They are perfect for breakfast.
Cornmeal Popovers
- 1 cup milk
- 2 medium eggs
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1/3 cup cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
First set your oven to 450°. Then get out a muffin tin. A heavy muffin tin is best (I use cast iron), but any kind will do. Oil or grease the muffin cups liberally. Put the pan into the oven to preheat while you prepare the batter.
In a medium sized bowl, beat together the milk and eggs. Use a whisk or electric beaters for the best results. Add the flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt. Beat very well, making a nice thick, smooth batter. Take the hot muffin tins out of the oven and distribute the batter evenly among the hot oiled cups. Be careful not to burn yourself. I use about 3 tablespoons of batter for each cup, pouring it in with a quarter cup measure, that isn’t quite full of batter. Return the pan to the oven and cook for 15 minutes. The heat of the oven will puff up the batter nicely, making nice showy popovers. Then turn the oven down to 350° and cook for about 20 more minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and let it cool down for a few minutes. Remove the popovers from the muffin tin, and serve right away. These are good with creamed dishes, or with roast beef. Makes about a dozen.
Here’s another frugal bread recipe that’s quite impressive (and makes a great holiday gift) – Cranberry Bread.
Plain Cornbread
- 2 medium eggs
- 1-1/4 cups milk
- 1/4 cup oil or melted margarine
- 1-1/2 cups cornmeal
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (3 teaspoons)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
First get out your favorite large bowl. Crack the eggs into it. Pour in the milk and the oil or margarine. Mix this up until it is emulsified nicely (that means blended up really well). Dump in the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Use a whisk or a spoon and a strong arm to mix this all up until it is quite smooth. Turn the batter into a round, oiled 9-inch pan, or an oiled 8-inch square pan. You could also use a large iron skillet if you liked. Bake the cornbread at 400� for about 30 minutes, maybe a smidgen more. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes before cutting it into wedges. I usually cut 12 wedges, but you could cut 8 just as easily. This is a sturdy southern cornbread. The flavor is hearty and delicious. Serve with chili and stews or cooked beans for a nice meal.
This is part of my frugal bread recipe collection, as is this peanut butter bread recipe.
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Southern Batter Bread
- 1-1/2 cups tap water
- 3 tablespoons margarine
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1-1/3 cups milk
- 2 medium eggs
This is a very old recipe. It has been around for at least a hundred years, probably longer. Bring the tap water and margarine to a boil on the stove, or in the microwave. While it is heating, combine the cornmeal, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water into the cornmeal mixture. Stir it up quickly with a whisk to prevent lumps. The cornmeal will swell up and absorb the water. Slowly add the milk to the hot cornmeal. If you add it too fast it will wind up lumpy, which is not real bad, but it’s better if you try to keep it smooth. So slowly stir in the milk, a little at a time. When all the milk is added, break the eggs into the bowl too. You don’t add the eggs before the milk because the hot cornmeal will cook them. Trust me, this is sort of an icky thing and difficult to rescue. The time it happened to me, I had to toss out the whole mess for the dogs. The milk cools down the cornmeal, making it the perfect temperature for adding eggs. So beat up the batter until the eggs are well incorporated. Then turn the batter into a well oiled 2-quart casserole, or 8-inch square pan, or even a ten inch iron skillet. Bake the bread at 375° for about 40 minutes. The top will be nicely browned and the mixture will jiggle a little bit when you shake the pan. Take it out of the oven and serve it hot. I like this with Butter Beans especially. Add a cherry pie and you have a supper fit for a Hillbilly King.
There’s just something about making your own bread. Ready to try another recipe? How about these pumpkin muffins?
Tender Cornmeal Muffins
- 2 cups yellow corn meal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon margarine
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 cup milk
- 2 medium eggs
Bring 2-cups of water to a boil on the stove or in the microwave. While the water is heating, combine the cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Have the margarine close by. Pour the boiling water into the cornmeal mixture. Stir and stir and stir. The mixture will lump up some, but if you keep stirring it will smooth out. Add the margarine and stir until it melts. I use a whisk to mix this up because it is best for getting rid of the lumps. Next add the milk. Once again, stir until the mixture is smooth. Now add the eggs and continue mixing until the whole thing is smooth. Turn the batter into well oiled muffin pans. Bake at 475° for about 17 minutes. They will be golden brown and puffed when they are done. Remove them from the pan after cooling a little. Makes about 24 muffins. These are very tender and are best served slathered in margarine and eaten hot. Excellent for breakfast, or as a hot bread with lunch or supper. Spicy dishes make a superb foil to these delicate morsels of goodness.
Here’s another frugal bread for your family to enjoy – the southern batter bread recipe. It’s a true hilbilly recipe.
Yeast Pan Bread – Quick and Easy
- 2 cups whole wheat or white flour or a combination
- 1/4 cup sugar or honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons yeast or 1 packet of yeast
- 1/3 cup dry milk powder
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 medium egg
- 1 cup warm tap water
In a mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, salt, yeast and dry milk powder. Mix it up with a whisk or a fork until it is well blended. Add the oil, egg and warm tap water. Stir again, making a nice smooth mixture, along the consistency of cake batter. Turn the batter into a well oiled 8 or 9-inch, square or round pan. Set the pan aside in a warm place and allow the yeast to work for about 30 minutes. It won’t look like it has risen very much. That is alright. Bake the bread at 400° for about 20 minutes. It will rise up golden brown and very pretty. Remove it from the oven when the top is medium dark brown. A knife inserted in the center should come out clean. Cut the bread into 12 pieces and serve hot with margarine. This yeast bread has a texture similar to muffins. You could even bake it in a muffin pan if you were so inclined. The flavor is so heavenly, your guests will beg for the recipe and never believe how easy it is to prepare. Excellent with any meal calling for a simple hot bread.
Here is another excellent hot bread recipe that’s fast … cornmeal muffins. They are excellent with soups, stews and of course chili.
Hoe Cakes
- 2 cups corn meal
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups boiling water
- oil for frying
Put the tea kettle on to boil. In a large bowl combine the corn meal and salt. When the water boils, measure it in a metal or tempered-glass measuring cup. Pour the boiling water over the cornmeal and stir it up. The cornmeal will swell up, absorbing the water, and making a very thick mash.
Heat some oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. You can use as little as two tablespoon of oil per panful, but it is a little easier to use 4 or 5 tablespoons of oil for each panful. Use your waistline and frying skill as the final judge. Now scoop up a little of the cornmeal mush (about 1/4-cup) and shape it into a patty. It will still be warm from the boiling water, so be careful not to burn yourself. You can let it cool down some more first if you like. Plop the patty into the hot fat, and get it to frying. Make some more, until you have a whole pan full. I usually cook about 4 or 5 at a time. When the underside is crispy brown, turn them and cook the other side. When both sides are crispy and brown, transfer them to a plate to keep warm, and start another batch. This recipe makes about 12 hoe cakes.
Originally, Native Americans cooked these on hot rocks in an open fire. They were commonly referred to as Ash Cakes. Later on, settlers from Europe adopted the recipe, cooking the cakes on the blades of their hoes in the fireplace. This is where they get the name, “Hoe Cakes”. Of all the recipes in my collection, this one is the oldest, the cheapest, and just about the tastiest of all. Serve Hoe Cakes with as a bread, or by themselves for breakfast with maple syrup or molasses. They also make a nice accompaniment to main meals, especially when fried in margarine. In the summertime, when you want a hot bread, but don’t want to heat up the oven, this is the best choice. They cook right on top of the stove, without heating up the entire house. Good for camping and back packing too.
Another favorite southern bread recipe are biscuits. My biscuit mix made from white flour makes it easy to bake up a batch of them for breakfast or dinner.
Cornmeal Tortillas
- 3/4 cup cornmeal
- 1-1/4 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening or oil
- 1 cup boiling water
- Waxed paper
In a bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour and salt. Stir it up while the water is coming to a boil. Use a metal measuring cup to measure the water, if possible. Plastic melts, and glass sometimes shatters, so a metal measuring cup is the safest type when you measure boiling water. To continue, place the shortening in the bowl with the cornmeal and flour. Pour the boiling water over everything and stir it up with a fork. Stir and stir because it will lump up quite a bit before it turns into dough. Allow the mixture to cool. Divide the dough into 10 lumps about the size of golf balls. Roll each ball out very thinly between sheets of waxed paper. Loosen and remove the top sheet of paper, and lay the tortilla down on a hot dry skillet, with the bottom sheet of waxed paper still attached, and now on top. After the tortilla cooks for a few seconds, the remaining sheet of waxed paper will easily loosen for removal. When the underside of the tortilla is dry with a few brown spots, turn it and cook the other side.
I usually roll out two tortillas at a time, and continue rolling as the prepared ones cook. This recipe makes 10 corn tortillas. This is just enough to prepare my Enchiladas recipe.
This recipe is not really authentic. It has been adjusted to make use of ingredients available in most supermarkets. You would have to use Masa Harina cornmeal to make real tortillas (and you would probably need a tortilla press too). This recipe uses plain cornmeal which is readily available to most people.
Here is another delicious and international bread recipe – homemamde crepes. These tender, think pancakes are just plain delicious.