Bacon Cornbread | With Jalapeños
Ingredients
6 ounces uncured bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups (198 g) coarsely-ground gluten free yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 cups (210 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter)
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled (See Recipe Notes)
3 tablespoons (60 g) jalapeño jam
3 eggs (150 g, weighed out of shell) at room temperature, beaten
3 tablespoons (63 g) honey
2 1/4 cups (18 fluid ounces) buttermilk, at room temperature
Notes
When the bacon is cooked in Step 1 of the directions, it will leave behind rendered bacon fat—the most delicious fat ever known. I pour off the rendered bacon fat into a small, heat-safe bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature. Then, I use it to replace an equal amount, by weight, of unsalted butter in the ingredient list.
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Grease well a 12-inch cast iron skillet (or a 9-inch square or round cake pan) and set it aside.
In a medium-size, heavy bottom saucepan, cook the bacon pieces over medium-high heat until cooked through (about 5 minutes). Transfer the cooked bacon to a small, heat-safe bowl and pour off the bacon grease into a separate, small heat-safe bowl. Set both aside.
In a large bowl, place the cornmeal, flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and whisk to combine well. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the butter (reduced to account for the optional bacon grease, if using), the optional bacon grease, jalapeño jam, eggs, honey and buttermilk, mixing until just combined after each addition. The batter will be thick. Add the cooked bacon pieces, and mix just until the bacon is evenly distributed throughout the batter. Transfer the batter to the prepared skillet or pan, and smooth into an even layer.
Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 325°F and continue to bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cornbread comes out with, at most, a few moist crumbs attached (another 10 to 15 minutes). Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.