Carroll's Extra-Moist Cornbread

Hey everyone! I have just returned from an amazing two week trip to Utah and then Chicago. Before we left we were trying to eat all of the perishable items in our fridge that would go bad before we got back. We were finishing up the leftovers of Canice's Black Bean Soup and wanted some cornbread as a side. I remembered seeing a thread that Bob from the Cooking Light BB started on the Cornbread Gospels by Crescent Dragonwagon....could that name possible escape your mind? The first recipe that Bob suggested, Carroll's Extra-Moist Cornbread, seemed simple and I had most of the ingredients on hand so I went to work.

Carroll's Extra-Moist Cornbread
(The Cornbread Gospels; Crescent Dragonwagon)

Makes 9 squares

vegetable oil spray
1 cup reduced fat sour cream (or full-fat, if you prefer)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 mild vegetable oil
1 cup canned cream corn
2 eggs
1 cup stone ground yellow cornmeal
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1-1/2 tsps. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Spray an 8" baking pan with the oil.

2. Place the sour cream in a large bowl and whisk in the baking soda to activate it. Then whisk in the oil, eggs, and creamed corn. When thoroughly combined, sprinkle the cornmeal over the top.

3. Combine the cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a small dish, and sift over the cornmeal. Stir the whole thing together with as few strokes as possible, just to combine wet and dry.

4. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, then pop it into the oven until golden brown, about 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray an 8" baking pan with the oil.

Place the sour cream in a large bowl and whisk in the baking soda to activate it.

Whisk in the oil, eggs, and creamed corn.

When thoroughly combined, sprinkle the cornmeal over the top.

Combine the cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a small dish.

Sift over the cornmeal.

Stir the whole thing together with as few strokes as possible, just to combine wet and dry.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Bake for about 40 minutes.

Remove from oven.

I have not experimented with tons of cornbread recipes in my time, but Carroll's Extra-Moist Cornbread from the Cornbread Gospels was awesome. Because we were trying to use some things up from the fridge and didn't want to purchase anything new, I made a few changes. We had a half cup of reduced fat sour cream so to complete the full cup requirement I added some fat free Greek yogurt. I only buy creamed corn for specific recipes so I made my own using some skim milk, frozen corn and corn starch. Surprisingly, the creamed corn turned out well, I did over salt it a bit, so the end result was a bit salty, but if you know me, that is OK! The cornbread turned out light, which I prefer to the dense, cakey cornbreads that I have come across. Terry didn't seem to notice the extra salt and proceeded to eat almost the entire batch of cornbread, I would say that it was a winner, and we will make this again in the future, thanks Bob!

-Heather