A southern stable, old mountain folk break it up in a Cup and mixed it with buttermilk for dessert. I have known people who don't think its a meal unless they have cornbread on the table. And they won't eat until its ready either.

ANN'S DELUXE CORNBREAD Recipe

• 2 EGGS CUP
•  8 OZ SOUR CREAM
• 1/4 TO 1/2 CUP SALAD OIL
• 1 CUP YELLOW CREAM CORN
• 1 CUP WHITE CORN MEAL
• 1-1/2 TEASPOON SALT
• 3 TEASPOONS BAKING POWDER
• Onion (optional)

BEAT EGGS, THEN BLEND IN SOUR CREAM, OIL AND CORN. BLEND  CORN MEAL, SALT, BAKING POWDER. CHOP ONION AND BLEND IN. PREPARE AN 8 INCH PAN BY SPRAYING WITH OIL. POUR BLENDED MIX INTO THAT PAN. AND BAKE IN OVEN AT  375 DEGREES FOR 30-45 MINUTES OR AT 400 DEGREES FOR 45 MINUTES.

Back before electricity, all bread was fixed in a cast iron skillet. Grease was heated on the eye of the stove until almost but not quite smoking, then the bread mixture was added, after which it went into a very hot oven (500 degrees) usually a wood stove. In colonial days, and before temperature gauges, the women who did the cooking put their arms in the oven, if the hair on the back of their arms singed, then the oven was hot enough to start cooking. Corn Pone bread was made from corn meal mixed with water and fried in bacon grease. Corn was taken to the mill for grinding into cornmeal.

My Cornbread Recipe

Recipe Ingredients

• Cornmeal (regular not self rising)
• 1-Teaspoon salt
• 1 Teaspoon of baking powder
• 1-3 Tablespoons of bacon grease

To Prepare Recipe: Follow directions on bag to mix batter. When finished mixing, heat bacon grease in a seasoned cast iron skillet until almost smoking. Remove from heat. Pour batter into grease in skillet. This makes the crust crispy. Let sizzle. Put in a very hot oven 500 degrees for about 25 minutes or done. The bread is ready when you can stick a clean knife in the middle of the bread and it comes out clean. Serve with buttermilk, pinto beans, jalapeno peppers, or anything. Mountain folk do not believe it is a meal unless they have cornbread.

Variations: Add a small can of cream style corn, or cheese

Pone Bread Recipe

Preparation time: 5 minutes Inexpensive, and easy to make Recipe Ingredients

• 2 Cups of self-rising flour
• 1 Cups of milk
• 2 Tablespoons of bacon grease
• 8x8 pan

To Prepare Recipe: Stir milk into flour. Melt grease and coat 8x8 pan with it. While grease is hot, add flour mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until brown on top. Serve hot with butter. Another version is mixing cornmeal and water together and frying the batter in bacon grease until brown and crispy.

Johnny Cakes Recipe

• 1 can of cream style corn (or scrap corn from cob)
• 1 small onion
• 1 cup self rising cornmeal

To Prepare Recipe: Mix Recipe Ingredients together. Heat ¼ cup of corn oil in pan until a drop of water jumps when it touches the oil. Pour a spoonful of mixture in pan to form a small pancake. When edges begin to brown and the surface of the pancake is dotted by small holes. Turn the cake over and cook till done. Drain on a paper towel. Serve with a glass of milk. Substitute corn oil with ¼ bacon grease and sprinkle cooked bacon on cake prior to cooking for a more countrified meal.

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