Ina Garten's Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

Something tells me that this is not the cornbread that the pioneers ate on the trail west. No, little doggies, this is not Aunt Bea's johnny cake. This is the Bareefoot Contessa, Ina Garten's Cornbread. I'm baking along with my buddies at Barefoot Bloggers, so join in and make some too. I promise, you'd be willing to ride pregnant on a bumpy trail in a covered wagon for cornbread this good. It's fabulously tender and buttery with a kick from jalapenos, sharp cheddar and scallions.

I halved the recipe, and I confess now that I had to cut out some of the butter and cheese. I had to, I really had to. The local cows are going on strike, overworked from the amount of butter that I've demanded in the last month. I don't want to take out my super-sized Christmas jeans now, do I? I like to wait until December before I surrender to that extent.

I also made a couple of sugar-sprinkled little corncakes sans jalapenos, cheese and green onions. Little green things always make kids nervous. Whenever they point and ask "What's that?"- you can be sure they are referring to a little green thing. And they can spot every single microscopic one.

Make it however you like it. Just make it. Especially since it would go wonderfully well with my Garden Harvest Minestrone that's coming tomorrow. So make some cornbread and come on back now, y'all hear?

A little lighter Jalepeno Cheddar Cornbread

Estimated Cost: $2.00

Notes: I baked in a smaller baking dish so that I'd have enough to make two extra 1 cup capacity ramekins for my two little charges.

1 and 1/2 cups flour (I used half whole wheat)

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk or milk

1 egg plus 1 egg white

5 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

1/4 cup chopped scallions, plus a few more for top

1-3tablespoon minced jalapenos (forgive me-I used canned)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8 inch baking dish. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, powder and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, and butter. Add dry ingredients and stir a couple of times to combine without over mixing. Mix in half the cheese plus some scallions and jalapenos. Pour batter into pan and sprinkle with remaining cheese and extra scallions. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Coming Tomorrow:

Garden Harvest Minestrone-thanks to my generous cowboy neighbor