Key West Coconut Cornbread

 

I am not easily offended, ergo, the word “moist” does not bother me. I find that it is a necessary word to use when describing things such as cake, for example. There are plenty of synonyms: clammy, cloudy, damp, dank, dewy, drenched, drippy, dripping, drizzly, misty, muggy, oozy, saturated, but I ask you, would you want a cake described by any of the words listed previously? I don’t think so. Therefore, moist it is.

Personally, I find many other words far less tolerable than moist, yogurt is one I don’t particularly care for, phlegm is yet another. In the case of the latter, not only do I not like the sound of it, but the spelling is off-putting as well. Why am I mentioning this? I’ll tell you why, because this cornbread is moist, and deliciously so.

The recipe comes from Baking of the American South, scheduled for release next month (watch for my review), by way of the 1949 Key West Cookbook, published by The Ladies’ Annex of the Civil Improvement Society. This recipe is a keeper, my friends. You must try this cornbread. It is not overly coconut-y, nor is it too sweet. It is just a lovely combination of ingredients that creates a cornbread so tasty and deliciously moist that you won’t even need butter.Key West Coconut Cornbread

1 c. finely ground yellow cornmeal
¾ c. flour
¼ c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
½ t. salt
¼ t. baking soda
2 eggs
1¼ c. coconut milk
5 T. unsalted butter
½ c. sweetened shredded coconut

Heat the oven to 400° F with a rack in the middle.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda, soda. Add the eggs and coconut milk, stirring with a fork just to break up the eggs.

Place the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Add melt over medium-low heat, 1-2 minutes. Pour the butter into the batter, and stir with the fork just until combined. Scatter the coconut over the bottom of the skillet. Pour the batter over the coconut and place the skillet in the oven.

Bake until the cornbread is golden brown and the top springs back when lightly touched, 22 to 27 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the oven, let the cornbread rest in the skillet for five minutes, then run a knife around the edge, flip out onto a cutting board, and serve.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.