Smoked Gouda and Bacon Cornbread with Maple Butter

Ingredients

Smoked Gouda & Bacon Cornbread

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cheddar Cornbread recipe.

1. 1 cup all-purpose flour

2. 1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal

3. 1 teaspoon baking soda

4. 1 teaspoon salt

5. 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

6. 1/8 teaspoon cayenne

7. 1 & 1/2 cups buttermilk

8. 3 tablespoons maple syrup

9. 2 eggs

10. 1 & 1/2 cups smoked Gouda, grated

11. 3 pieces of crispy bacon, finely chopped

Maple Cinnamon Butter

1. 1/2 cup salted butter, softened

2. 2 tablespoons maple syrup

3. 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

Servings: 9

Steps

1. To make the smoked gouda cornbread: preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a pan with some olive oil or butter, cook bacon strips until very crispy & then set aside on a paper towel-lined plate to cool & drain excess oil. Once cooled, roughly chop bacon into very small pieces.

3. In a bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cornmeal, baking soda, salt, cinnamon & cayenne.

4. Make a well in the center of the bowl. Add buttermilk, maple syrup & eggs to dry ingredients & mix gently to combine.

5. Next, gently incorporate grated cheese & bacon pieces.

6. Transfer cornbread batter to an 8-inch cast iron skillet.

7. Bake cornbread for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the bread comes out clean. If top starts to brown quickly while baking, cover with tinfoil & continue baking until done.

8. To make the maple butter: With a fork, gently mix together softened salted butter, maple syrup & cinnamon until combined. Transfer to an airtight container. Butter will keep in the fridge for as long as the expiration date on the butter allows. Butter can also be frozen for later use.

9. Once finished baking, let cornbread cool & then serve warm with maple butter. Cornbread will last up to 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature.