Fried Cornbread and Hush Puppies

Nothing goes with white beans like Fried Cornbread. 

At a restaurant not too far away this is called the "Po' Boy Special".  It comes with a slice of Vidalia onion and a tall glass of iced sweet tea.

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Last week we had some white beans flavored with baked ham and some fried cornbread.  I like Aunt Mary's Red Tomato Relish on my white beans.  Just a taste brings back sweet memories.

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A couple nights later, my Handyman fried some fish and we made Hush Puppies.  Those were yummy, too.  My friend, Karen, has the best Hush Puppy recipe!

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I'm sharing both these recipes today.

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Fried Cornbread Fritters

1 cup of self rising white cornmeal
1 cup of buttermilk
3/4 cup of self-rising flour
1 egg, beaten

Mix the ingredients together and fry like pancakes on an oiled hot griddle or skillet.  Like pancakes, when you see the bubbles on top, it's time to flip them.  Another minute or so on that side and they should be done.  Remove to a serving plate and try not to pinch off the crispy edge while the others cook.  Good luck. :)

......oOOo......oOOo......oOOo......oOOo......

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There are many opinions as to where the name "Hush Puppies" came from, but the general concensus is that the name has something to do with keeping dogs quiet.

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"Hush puppies--golden-brown puffs invented to shush up the barking puppies at an outdoor feast; made by putting corn-bread batter into deep fat."

---American Heritage Cookbook, American Heritage [American Heritage:New York] 1964 (p. 128)



Karen's Hush Puppies

2 cups self-rising cornmeal mix

3 tablespoons self-rising flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup diced onion

1/4 cup green bell pepper (omitted this time)

1 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

vegetable oil for deep-frying

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In a deep fryer or heavy, deep skillet, heat 2 - 3 inches of oil over medium heat to 375°. 

In a mixing bowl, combine cornmeal mix, flour, sugar, onion, and pepper. Add milk and egg; mix well. Let stand for 5 minutes. Drop batter by tablespoons into hot oil. Fry until golden brown, turning several times. Drain on paper towels. Makes about 12 large  hush puppies.

Buttermilk Biscuits

Oh, how I love the smell of bread baking in the oven!

It speaks to my soul and tells me good things are to come.

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Years ago (seems like a lot of my posts start with this), I clipped a Basic Buttermilk Biscuit recipe from my Mom-in-love's Southern Living magazine.

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This is my go-to, tried and true, never-fail biscuit recipe that I use when I'm not low carbing or I just wanna make biscuits for the family on Saturday morning.

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I use my medium size biscuit cutter so my biscuits are smaller than usual.  I tend to like'm small, tall, and fluffy...almost bite-size, well at least a few bites worth.   I do love things in miniature.

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 Begin by cutting the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

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Add buttermilk and stir just until all dry ingredients are incorporated.

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Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and gently knead or fold over itself 4-5 times.    Folding creates multiple layers of dough and fat, giving rise to a tender, fluffy biscuit.  Pat or roll to ¾” thick; cut with a round biscuit cutter.

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Place into a greased pan with side touching.  This helps with the rise.  I used my round Wilton silicone cake pan and it worked great!  There was even a slight crust on the bottom of some of the biscuits.

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Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter. 

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Serve with honey, jam, sorghum, meat, or how about some Chocolate Gravy?   The freedom of  choice is yours!

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Basic Buttermilk Biscuits

1/3 cup butter, cut up

2 cups self rising flour (White Lily is good)

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons melted butter

 

Preheat oven to 425ºF.  Cut butter in flour w/ pastry cutter.  Add buttermilk and stir just until all dry ingredients are incorporated.   Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and gently knead or fold over itself 4-5 times.    Folding creates multiple layers of dough and fat, giving rise to a tender, fluffy biscuit. 

Pat or roll to ¾” thick; cut with a round biscuit cutter.  Pat or roll to ¾” thick; cut with a round biscuit cutter.   Bake for 12-14 minutes. Brush with melted butter fresh from the oven.  Serve warm.

Yield:  12-14 (1½”) biscuits or 7 (2½”) biscuits

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Recipe courtesy of Southern Living Magazine

Weight Watcher Skillet Cornbread

One of the Weight Watcher recipes I've tried recently...

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The cornbread was very moist and had great flavor.  I am a big fan of using buttermilk in baked breads and cakes and the buttermilk flavor came through strong for me.  I could've almost eaten this with a fork.  It was very good and I'll definitely be making it as long as I do Weight Watchers.

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Weight Watcher Skillet Cornbread

1 cup uncooked cornmeal, yellow

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp table salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

14 3/4 oz cream-style corn, canned

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 large egg whites

2 tsp corn oil

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Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat an 8-inch square cake pan or 8" skillet as I've done here, with cooking spray. (I used my pastry brush and brushed the skillet with oil.)

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Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Mix well with a fork, then make a well in the center; set aside.

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Combine creamed corn, buttermilk, egg whites and oil in a medium bowl; mix until blended. Fold mixture into dry ingredients; mix until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.

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Bake until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely before cutting into 8 squares.

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Weight Watcher Points Value 3 per serving.

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Stay tuned for more great Weight Watcher recipes.

Pepperoni Bread (Bread Machine)

Pepperoni Bread

Ingredients:

 

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water (70° to 80°)


• 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese


• 2 tablespoons sugar


• 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic salt


• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano


• 3-1/4 cups bread flour


• 1-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast


• 2/3 cup sliced pepperoni

Directions:

In bread machine pan, place the first seven ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select basic bread setting. Choose medium crust color and loaf size if available. Bake according to bread machine directions (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed). Just before the final kneading (your machine may audibly signal this), add the pepperoni. Yield: 1 loaf (about 1-1/2 pounds).

Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home.