Blended Recipes: Hot Water Cornbread

The kitchen is one of my favorite places to be. Especially when making traditional family recipes. I find that making family recipes is one of the best ways to carry down tradition and to feel more connected to my culture and heritage. One of my favorites is my grandma’s hot water cornbread! It’s so savory and salty, and makes a perfect side to any dinner. 🙂

My sweet, sassy Granny Bell grew up in Louisiana and raised her children and grandchildren on her southern cooking. (It’s why I nicknamed her “Granny Tia”, after Disney’s Princess Tiana, who owns a restaurant in New Orleans!) While hot water cornbread is a Native American dish, it’s also often used in African-American cuisine, sometimes accompanied with collard greens, chicken or cat fish. It has a long history that I’m still learning about, but I know that it was used during the Depression for folks without a lot of money. My mom and I are used to having it with chicken, some greens and some sweet potato pie for dessert. It makes a perfect side dish or breakfast bread any time of year! And it’s a recipe that means a lot to me, so I thought I’d share it. ❤

So, without further adieu, here’s the gold that she’s shared with me, if you’d like to try making it for yourself! You won’t be disappointed. 🙂

Hot water cornbread, baby ❤

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~ GRANNY BELL’S HOT WATER CORNBREAD ~

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of cornmeal (yellow and white! Mix them together for great taste)
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3 cups water
• About 1 tbsp butter or margarine
• Dash of canned/evaporated milk (Carnation works great)
• Vegetable oil for frying

1. Combine cornmeal, sugar and salt in heat-safe bowl or pot
2. Add butter
3. Boil 3 cups of water
4. While water boils, spread vegetable oil in frying pan (a skillet, if you have one), covering every inch with a thin layer of oil
5. Pour the boiled water into the bowl of your cornmeal mix. Stir well.
6. Add canned milk. Stir well, so that your batter isn’t soupy.
7. Heat your frying pan on high heat.
8. Use the batter to form cornbread pieces, either with your hands or with a spatula. (Granny says the old-fashioned way is to do it with your hands, spritz the pieces with cold water, and then drop it in the pan.) Drop the pieces into the pan to fry.
9. Fry until golden brown. Place fried pieces on a plate covered with a paper towel to soak up excess grease. (They should be nice and thiccc, and have a delicious crunch to them.)
10. Enjoy with a plate of meat and collard greens! ❤

I hope you guys enjoy! If you have any family recipes you love, please feel free to share them in the comments! I’d love to read them!

Hope you’re all doing well, given all that’s happening in the world. To my brothers and sisters in the black community– try to keep your head up and remember to breathe. I may not share your experience as a dark-skinned person of color but I am here for you. If you need to reach out to someone, my DMs are always open on Instagram @lj_bertini, as a safe place if you need a listening ear.

Until next time, stay beautiful, stay positive and #ownyourrainbow. ❤

~ LJ

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• Tiffani Glenn Paintings: An artist by the name of Tiffani Glenn who does gorgeous and thought-provoking paintings of black art, emphasizing black beauty and black lives. Follow her on Instagram @artbytiffanig for info on purchases!
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