This recipe is so simple and it is wonderful. From what I hear, they discovered this recipe when they made a mistake in the proportions of ingredients for a cornbread recipe at Tassajara. For some reason the cornbread separates into three layers with a soft custard layer in the middle. It is sweet because of the honey but is a perfect balance to a hot and spicy dish such as chili (can add green chili’s to the recipe too). If you add the additional honey, it makes a good dessert with strawberries.
- Top Layer: Bran
- Middle Layer: Custardy Layer
- Bottom Layer: Cornmeal
Between the cornbread recipe and the kale salads, I have completely rediscovered two amazing cookbooks after spending lots of time with ladies who know how to cook Californian down in Santa Cruz. If you are shopping for a foodie friend or cook and they don’t have these two cookbooks in their collections, get them for them as a gift. You can’t go wrong.
Three Layer Cornbread Recipe
- 1 cup cornmeal (coarse ground works best but regular works)
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup unbleached white flour
- 1/4 cup wheat bran or wheat germ
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup honey or molasses, (we use honey)
- 1/4 cup oil or melted butter, (we use oil)
- 3 cups milk or buttermilk, (we always use regular milk)
* Use the larger amount of honey if you want this for dessert.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients. Mix them together. The batter will be quite liquidy; this is fine.
Pour batter into a lightly oiled 9″x9″ baking dish and bake for 50 minutes or until the top is springy when gently touched.
Cool before cutting and serving.
* I’ve heard adding green chillies to it is great!
