Honey-Maple Banana Cornbread

It is local corn season in upstate NY (beginning of August) and I am in heaven! Corn is one of those vegetables that you buy when its in season and eat to excess, I like to call it nature's candy. When its sweet its just about the most delicious vegetable you can put in your mouth. I use it in both sweet and savory dishes. You can add it, right from the cob, to this sweet cornbread because its so tender and completely perfect, as is. The cornbread is further sweetened with dark, rich maple syrup, fragrant, floral honey and lots of overripe bananas. These ingredients all permeate the cornbread with a depth of flavor as well as adding moisture, so important with this type of bread. The cornmeal is so dense and dry, I find that regular, granulated sugar just doesn't cut in here. The honey, banana and maple syrup also add a myriad of nutrients so they create a super healthy bread as well. Pockets of crunchy sweet corn, that are surrounded by moist and dense cornmeal; slather with honey butter or blackberry jam and you are going to be in summery cornbread heaven!!

This recipe makes a 10 inch cornbread which serves 6-8.


Ingredients


1/2 Cup cornmeal

1/2 Cup wheat germ

1 Cup organic, unbleached all purpose flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp Sea salt

2 overripe fair trade bananas, medium size, mashed.

1/4 Cup local honey, mine was buckwheat.

1/4 Cup local maple syrup

2 Farm raised eggs, slightly beaten and room temp.

1 Cup pasture raised whole milk

2 Tbsp pasture raised butter, melted.

1 tsp Real vanilla extract

4 Ears organic or local sweet corn, kernels cut from the cob.*

2 Additional Tbsp pasture raised butter, for the pan.

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the additional 2 Tbsp of butter in a 10 inch cast iron skillet and place this in the oven to melt and get hot while you are preparing the batter. You can use a square or round baking dish if you don't have a cast iron skillet.

In a large bowl whisk to combine the cornmeal, wheat germ, flour, baking powder and sea salt.

In a medium size bowl combine the bananas, honey, maple syrup, eggs, melted butter and vanilla. Mix the wet into the dry and stir just to combine. Add in the corn kernels and stir just a few times to distribute.

Carefully remove the cast iron skillet from the stove and swirl the butter around to coat the pan evenly. Pour the batter into the pan and bake in the oven for 25-28 minutes or until its golden brown and springs back to your touch. I like to take mine out just before its completely cooked as my "moisture insurance policy." Overcooked cornbread is not delicious.

To remove the cornbread, slide a butter knife around all sides of the pan. Place a serving platter over top of the pan and carefully invert onto the serving platter.

To serve, slice the cornbread like a pizza, I do it in 8 slices. Slather with your favorite butter, honey butter or jam and enjoy. I personally think that corn and blackberry jam is the most delectable combination and they happen to be in season at the exact same time!

*I like to use a bundt pan to cut the corn off the cob, I place the cob in the center hole of the bundt pan and the inner ring catches the corn and it won't fly all over your kitchen, I am not a baker so my bundt pan appreciates that I still use it even if its not for baking.