Crispy Crusty Jalapeño Cornbread Sticks
Cornbread sticks are a Southern specialty and an example of function following form. I imagine that whoever dreamed them up was probably just trying to be cute by fashioning a corn-shaped mold for cornbread, but the end product, with its high ratio of crispy crust to soft innards and perfect shape for dipping in chili or pot likker, is a whole different animal. In this version, I kick things up a notch by adding sharp Cheddar cheese and spicy jalapeño pepper. If you don’t have (or care to purchase) a corn stick pan—cast-iron only—you can, of course, use a skillet.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 14 corn sticks / one 9- or 10-inch skillet
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Step 2
Lightly grease 2 cast-iron corn stick pans and place in the oven to heat while you mix the batter. (If you have only one pan, halve the recipe or bake in batches, taking care to preheat the pan again before baking the second batch. The batter will be fine left at room temperature while the first batch bakes.)
Step 3
Stir together the cornmeal, flour, cheese, jalapeño, sugar, baking powder, salt, black pepper, and baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk the buttermilk, butter, and eggs in a separate bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir just to combine. Do not overmix; the batter should have a lumpy appearance.
Step 4
Remove the pans from the oven and spoon about 2 heaping tablespoons of batter into each mold. Return the pans to the oven and bake until the sticks are slightly puffed and golden, about 15 minutes (20 to 25 minutes if using a skillet). Remove from the oven and serve warm.
