G-free, Granny-style Cornbread

Our friend Gem has sent us yet another gluten-free recipe. 

She apologizes in advance for the "haphazardness" of this recipe. "That is how they get after you have made them a million times," she writes.

Ingredients:

1 cup cornmeal (Gem prefers stoneground cornmeal.)

1 Tbsp. baking powder

scant 1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

(Note: I usually crack an egg into my measuring cup, then add milk to make 1 cup--1 cup dry to 1 cup wet ingredients)

1/4 cup hot melted butter or oil

Now, I have a certain enameled cast iron skillet that I use to make cornbread; I think it is a 9" skillet. This quantity fits well in that skillet. You could use an 8x8 square pan, I am sure. You can also double the recipe for a larger skillet-maybe not quite double the salt, though (3/4 tsp. perhaps).

I mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, then mix the egg/milk in the measuring cup. I heat the butter in the skillet till very hot and foamy. Add the wet to the dry and stir just to combine, then add the hot butter (you can swirl it around in the skillet first to grease the pan). Stir in the hot butter, then pour the batter into the hot skillet. This is what forms the crust on the bottom of good southern cornbread.  

Bake in a hot oven, around 425 degrees, for about 15-20 mins. If you like sweet cornbread, add a bit of sugar.

Submitted by Gem