When my mother likes something at a restaurant, she has no fears about asking for the recipe. My step-father tells a story about one night when they were at one of Todd English’s restaurants – she loved the Vanilla Souffle so much, the next thing he knew, she was back in the kitchen talking to the pastry chef. Occasionally she will send me one of her finds, and I can usually count on the fact that it is going to be good.
This recipe came from Blancahrd’s Restaurant in Anguilla – and I must say, it is definitely one of the best cornbread recipes I have ever made. It is extremely moist and and just the perfect sweetness – there are bits of corn, but not too much – everything about this recipe is wonderful. I must say though, it is super rich – one small piece is really all you need – so one batch does go a long way. What I love most about this recipe is how easy it is – and how well it freezes. So no need to worry if there are leftovers – in fact, that’s what I plan for – to go with all the soup and stews I have in the freezer…
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal (such as Arrowhead Mills)
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar, scant
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups cream style corn
- 1/2 cup (small can) crushed pineapple, drained well and squeezed
- 1 cup shredded jack or mild cheddar cheese
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 9″ square baking dish.
Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and set aside. In a mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. (The mixture may appear curdled at some point, and that is OK.) Add the corn, pineapple, cheese, and mix to blend. On low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix until blended.
Bake until a tester is clean and the cornbread is golden brown on top, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Serve warm.
To freeze, make sure the cornbread is at room temperature, then double wrap it with plastic wrap. If you are looking to make a double batch, you must use a larger pan than 9×13.
For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Blanchard’s Caribbean Cornbread
First Look, Then Cook 