Maple Bacon Cornbread

I definitely have an unhealthy obsession with cornbread. There’s something about the sweet, crumbly, yellow bread, warm and covered in melting butter that just hits all the right buttons. But not all cornbread is created equal, oh no. I’ve had many a disappointing pieces of cornbread: dry, not sweet enough, grainy texture, too dense, etc, etc.  Not long ago I went on a mission to create a cornbread recipe that makes cornbread just the way I like it: sweet, buttery, a bit of crunch on the outside, and a little crumbly. After numerous tests, variations, and overeating, I’m proud to say that not only did I get the recipe perfect, I took it one step further: to breakfast. I love cornbread with fried eggs – dipped in runny yolk, it is heaven. Since I already sweeten it with cornbread, I thought, why not put bacon in it as well. Friends, I’m not gonna lie – it’s a home run. The salty chew of the bacon mixed with the buttery sweet of the cornbread is nothing short of miraculous… but I really had to make sure. When I want to seriously test a recipe, I give it to my roommate. More than once I have made a dish that my roommate normally doesn’t like eating, but when she tastes my version, she freaks out about it. I call it the roommate test. Clever, I know. This cornbread passed the test with flying colors – she is a believer, and I promise you will be too.

As a heads up, you should know that the only way to make cornbread is in a cast iron skillet. If you don’t have one, I can’t recommend getting one more highly. I get such use out of mine – it fries and browns like nothing else. Honestly, even if you only use it to make cornbread, it’s still worth it – nothing else will give you that light crisp on the exterior. The recipe may seem a little involved, but once you get into it, you’ll see it’s really a cinch to put together. Decadent? Yes. Starving artist? Absolutely.

Maple Bacon Cornbread (Recipe PDF)