Southern Corn Sticks - the Senator and Mark Twain agree that they're the best!

Senator has always had a thing for cornbread. I guess his Mississippi heritage and his Tennessee upbringing  pretty much assured that he would develop a love for this Southern delicacy. He waits patiently as it cooks, knowing that he's going to get a corn stick if he's a good boy. 

“The North thinks it knows how to make corn bread, but this is a gross superstition. Perhaps no bread in the world is quite as good as Southern corn bread, and perhaps no bread in the world is quite as bad as the Northern imitation of it.”- Mark Twain

Corn Sticks

Nothing says comfort food like ‘smack you mama good’ cornbread. A form of this Southern staple has been on America’s table since the earliest of times, and the tradition continues today. Most good Southern cooks can make this with their eyes closed, and most will tell you the secret is to have a seasoned iron skillet or pan.

 1-1/2 cup Martha White® white cornmeal or 1 cup yellow

1/2 cup flour (1 cup if using yellow cornmeal)     

1 tablespoon baking powder                                     

1/3 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/3 cup buttermilk

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup vegetable oil or bacon grease, plus some to season pan

 Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients. Combine eggs and buttermilk; add to dry ingredients, mix until just moistened.  Divide oil among compartments in the cast iron corn stick pan and place in the oven as it preheats. When oven is near full temperature, remove pan using heavy potholder as it will be very hot.  Pour the oil into to the batter; mix well then pour back into the pan. If pan is properly preheated the cornbread will begin to sizzle; this sears the outside of the cornbread and keeps it from sticking to your pan.  Return pan to oven for 15 minutes when inserted toothpick comes out clean and cornbread is lightly brown. When cornbread is done, immediately turn out of pan as when it begins sweating, it can stick to the pan. Refill and bake the remainder of the batter.