Pumpkin Cornbread + Honey Butter

Every Thanksgiving, I say I’m going to make cornbread. And every Thanksgiving, I wind up not making cornbread.

I’m not sure exactly what gets in the way, but up until now, I never got around to turning my cornbread dreams into reality. This year, I was determined to break that cycle, and I set out on the hunt for a perfect cornbread recipe. It’s hard picking a recipe for something you’ve never made yourself before; you’ve yet to see what works and what doesn’t, what you like and what you don’t. I wasn’t sure how I’d ever choose, that is, until the perfect recipe basically waltzed right up to me and slapped me in the face with a skillet.

This Pumpkin Cornbread found me while I was doing my daily reading on Serious Eats. I figured I’d never find a better cornbread recipe than one that included my beloved pumpkin. After all, the days of pumpkin season are dwindling. I jumped at the chance to squeeze in one more squash recipe while I still could.

This cornbread was one of the simplest recipes I’ve ever thrown together. The result was a plump, moist cornbread with the most gorgeous orange hue that looked perfectly festive on the dinner table. The pumpkin flavor is not prominent; in fact, I’d say it adds a hint of fall flavor more than actual pronounced pumpkiness. It also makes the cornbread tender, unlike some cornbread that’s like corn-flavored sawdust.

The perfect compliment to the subtly sweet Pumpkin Cornbread is some simple Honey Butter. Literally all you need is honey and butter, and BAM; you’ve got a sweet and delicious spread to slather your cornbread in. What a perfect combination!

If you’re also a homemade cornbread virgin, this is a great recipe to start with. It’s so simple, but it’ pretty presentation will impress all your dinner guests. Or your cats. Or whoever you eat with.

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

1. I found the original recipe was lacking in that signature cornbread sweetness, so I added a touch of honey to fix that.
2. You don’t have to bake this in a skillet; do it in a cake pan, or whatever baking dish you have on hand.
3. This cornbread is great toasted up in the morning with coffee.
4. Serve this warm straight from the oven or let it cool.

Pumpkin Cornbread
Adapted from Serious Eats

Ingredients:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together corn meal, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, honey, pumpkin, and milk until combined. Stir in dry ingredients.
4. Place butter in skillet and place in the preheated oven for 2 minutes, or until butter is melted. Take skillet out of oven and pour in batter, smoothing top. Bake until top is golden and cracked and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool before cutting.

Honey Butter
By The Smart Cookie Cook

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
• 3 tbsp. honey

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, stir together butter and honey until well-combined. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat. Let soften again before serving.