DU Southerners: Anyone want to make me up a care package of Corn Pones?

[Taverner]

I do love em :)

And I'm willing to make you some of my food too :)

[flvegan]

1. Corn what?

[Taverner]

3. Deep Fried corn batter

They are teh yum

[bamademo]

5. You can drop these in hot oil to fry. But then they're fritters.

[Taverner]

6. So is the corn pone just cornbread in a cupcake mold?

And if so, would I put the bacon drippings in each cup?

[bamademo]

8. Yes, they make molds that look like this...

[Phentex]

9. I have one of those!

Yesserie, I do.

[bamademo]

10. Great! Just fry up some bacon and reserve the drippings to grease the mold...

Of course, I usually use Crisco because bacon is not good for you. But if you really want to be decadent use bacon.

[Phentex]

13. I have the bacon grease but I usually use Crisco for

cornbread.

My husband saves the bacon grease but I throw it out once it's solid. I know the crisco isn't any better but still! There's something ooky about the bacon grease unless you use it right away, IMO.

[bamademo]

14. Not really, just melt it again. That's what my Southern grannys did.

They saved it in a coffee can on the back of the stove. They did cover it. It's smoked so it won't spoil rapidly. I volunteer for a living history museum and I know for a fact besides watching my grannies that is how authentic southern food was cooked. I sometimes cook on an antique iron stove and in a fireplace. It's so cool. Here's the website.

http://www.burrittmuseum.org/

[bamademo]

2. Here's a cornbread recipe...

Just put it in a mold to have corn pones. This is authentic suthern cawnbread, honey.

* 1 cup buttermilk (or 7 ounces of milk + 1 ounce vinegar or lemon juice, mixed and left to sit for about 30 minutes until curdled. If you're in a hurry, mix the milk and vinegar or lemon juice and microwave it for 20-30 seconds on high power.)
* 1 large egg
* 1 cup cornmeal, yellow or white (Stone-ground cornmeal is best, but not required. I prefer yellow for a more crumbly cornbread. My mother, who taught me this recipe, prefers white for a smooth-textured cornbread. We often compromise by mixing the two.)
* 1 teaspoon salt (use 1/2 teaspoon salt if you don't like your cornbread quite so salty)
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 2 teaspoons baking powder (if you're at high altitude, use 1 teaspoon baking powder, else the cornbread will rise too high, then fall)
* 1.5 tablespoons of bacon drippings or vegetable oil (try garlic-flavored olive oil. Excellent!)
* Optional ingredients for different tastes: Use any or all of these for a different taste, as the mood strikes you
o 1/2-3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar
o 1-4 finely chopped jalapeno or chile peppers (no seeds!)
o 2 cloves finely minced garlic
o 1/2-3/4 cup whole kernel corn

Pour drippings or oil into an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan. Heat pan in a 450 degree oven until oil is smoking hot.

While pan is heating, mix dry ingredients and any of the optional ingredients in medium-sized bowl. Beat egg into buttermilk. Add liquids to dry mixture, just until blended. Do not overmix!

Carefully remove the smoking pan from oven and pour cornbread batter into pan. If the oil is properly hot, then the batter will sizzle as it hits the oil. (This sizzle is what makes a nice, crunchy bottom crust.) Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the top crust is golden brown. Cut into wedges. Serve with butter or margarine.

Note 1: The batter will begin to rise as soon as the liquid and dry ingredients are mixed, so mix them right before you remove the hot pan from the oven.

Note 2: If you use a 10" round cast-iron skillet instead of the 9" baking pan, you should double the recipe without doubling the oil. If you don't double the recipe for the 10" skillet, your cornbread will be very thin.

[Taverner]

4. What shape mold?

and where's the recipe ;)

[trof]

7. Born and raised in Alabama.

I've never had corn pone.
May have to try it.

[mainegreen]

11. Why did I read that as 'Porn Cones' first?

I clicked in, because I was so curious about just what a 'Porn Cone' was!

[yellowdogintexas]

12. OR: go out and get some white self rising corn meal. Use buttermilk instead of

milk and add 1/4 tsp of soda to the mix.

You can use the molds, but I use an 8" cast iron skillet, well seasoned from many years of bacon cooking and cornbread making.

PUt the skillet in the oven with the bacon grease or oil or Shortening in it while the oven is preheating. Slide the skillet out onto the open oven door, pour the cornbread batter right into the hot grease. Then bake it.

Pouring the batter into the hot grease produces a marvelous crunchy crust.

Martha White and White LIly both make nice little mixes in a pouch that are perfect for this size pan.