Best Cornbread

I am a picky cornbread eater. I grew up eating blue cornbread that tasted like baking soda, not cake. My husband, Andy, is even more picky - he grew up with real Southern-style cooking. He's used to cornbread done in a skillet - and unfortunately those iron skillets are foreign to me. So, this is what I've come up with to satisfy every need (including the kids who would probably be happy with yellow cake cornbread...).

Best Cornbread

You Will Need:

• 2 Mixing Bowls
• 1 Cup Measuring Cup
• 1/4 Cup Measuring Cup
• 1 Tablespoon
• 1/2 Teaspoon
• Sifter (yes, a sifter! If you don't have one, get one - you know I'm a fan of cutting corners, but let me tell you, sifting is worth it)
• Hand Mixer 
• Glass Pie Plate or Baking Dish

Ingredients:

• 1 Stick Butter
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Cup Buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk, here's a trick - add 1 tablespoon white vinegar to 1 cup of whatever milk you do have and stir)
• 1 Cup Yellow Cornmeal
• 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/4 Cup Wheat Flour
• 1/2 Cup Wheat Germ (I found wheat germ with honey in it once and it was more than amazing)
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Salt 
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• Nonstick Spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Soften butter
3. In one bowl mix butter, eggs and buttermilk
4. Mix dry ingredients: all purpose flour, wheat flour, wheat germ, brown sugar, salt and soda
5. Sift dry ingredients in 3 scoops - yes, sift. I've never considered sifting in my life, but I promise you, it pays off in the end. The consistency is amazing!
6. Add all ingredients together and mix
7. Spray pie plate and add mixture
8. Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees

My bestie Ann and I won the Hotdish Revolution with a dish topped with this cornbread -  we added jalepeno slices to the top to kick it up a notch. That recipe to come...