Sweet Sesame Skillet Cornbread

I hail from a small farm in Iowa, and now I’m in Florida, married to a Southern gentleman. Back home, we never questioned adding a touch of sugar to our cornbread batter—it was simply our preference. However, in the South, it’s an entirely different tale. Cornbread must harmonize with collard greens, beans, black-eyed peas, and BBQ, and it should not be sweet.

When my husband was a bachelor, he often settled for store-bought cornbread mixes, but they tasted like dry cardboard. To make them more palatable, he had to ‘doctor them up’ with additional ingredients. Determined to find a better solution, I embarked on a mission. That’s when I discovered Cynthia McTernan’s unique recipe from her book, A Common Table, which draws inspiration from Eastern flavors. Her cornbread has a subtle sweetness and a smoky, nutty kick from sesame seeds. For an extra sesame boost, you can brush it with sesame oil after baking. Alternatively, if you’re in the mood for a more traditional approach, simply slather it with butter and drizzle some honey on top.

It’s definitely not your grandma’s cornbread, but hey, it’s all about what floats your boat, right? And when it comes to pairing, it’s spot-on with collard greens, Classic Southern Butter Beans, black-eyed peas, and BBQ, just like any good Southern cornbread should be!

Recipe source: A Common Table by Cynthia Chen McTernan. This beautiful cookbook is packed full of dependable and delicious recipes.

Sweet Sesame Skillet Cornbread

This is an untraditional, quirky cornbread recipe with a hint of Eastern influence, boasting plenty of sweetness, subtle smokiness, and nuttiness, all cooked up effortlessly in a cast iron skillet.

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Course: Bread, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, AsianInspired, Southern

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus more to grease the skillet (and for serving, optional) ¾ stick
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 grams)
• ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• ¾ cup whole milk
• ¾ cup full-fat Greek yogurt (or use 1½ cups buttermilk in place of the milk and yogurt)
• 2 large eggs
• 5 Tbsp honey, divided
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil

Equipment

• 1 10-inch cast iron skillet

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Generously brush a 10-ich cast-iron skillet with butter and place it in the oven while the oven preheats.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sesame seeds, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the milk, Greek yogurt, eggs, melted butter, and 4 tablespoons of the honey.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix just until combined. The batter will be lumpy.
5. When the oven is hot, remove the skillet and pour in the batter. It should sizzle. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges just begin to pull away from the sides of the skillet, the center of the cornbread bounces back when touched, and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center of the cornbread comes out clean.
6. While the cornbread is baking, whisk together the remaining tablespoon honey and the sesame oil. When the cornbread is done, remove from oven and brush the hone-sesame oil mixture evenly over the top. Sprinkle with additional sesame seeds and serve warm, with more butter, honey, or sesame oil, if desired.

Notes

To make muffins:  Spoon the batter into the mini muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full. Bake for approximately 12 to 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

If, by some miracle, you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. For longer freshness, refrigerate for up to a week.

Important tip:  Preheat your skillet in the oven before adding the batter. This helps create a crisp crust on the bottom.

How to quickly toast a small batch of sesame seeds:

• Heat a small skillet over medium heat.
• Add sesame seeds and let rest for 30 seconds.
• Stir occasionally until toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Mine started to pop.
• Remove from heat and cool before using.

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