Thursday 21 January 2016

Vegan Cornbread



     A southern classic. Ryan's grandfather was from the deep south and absolutely loved cornbread, so Ryan's grandmother used to make it all the time. They seemed to pass on their love of cornbread to Ryan because we eat cornbread all the time now!

Papa Ed and (tiny!) Ryan
      I can remember the first time I had cornbread, some 10 or so years ago. I hadn't ordered it, but it was at the table. I remember being really confused at why there was cake at the dinner table. To my surprise, it was cornbread. So needless to say, I am not a fan of a super sweet cornbread (but I don't need the extra calories anyways!). So this recipe is a play on the classic cornbread, made in the cast iron and everything, but with less than half of the usual sugar and vegan, of course. The subtle sweetness of this cornbread goes perfectly with a spicy chili (I love the heat, but sometimes, I just can't handle it, so cornbread is the perfect solution).


     Give this recipe a try next time you want a starch to accompany a southern soup or a chili. The recipe is much easier than traditional breads, and there is no wait time before baking. Mix and bake, it's that easy!

Time: 10 minutes + 35-40 minutes (bake)
Serves: 8 (~4" wedges) to 12 (~2.5" wedges)

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups (300g) cornmeal (white and/or yellow)
  • 2 cups (275g) all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup (140g) white sugar
  • 1 Tbsp (30 ml) baking powder
  • 1 tsp (5ml) salt
  • 2 cups (500ml) non-dairy milk, unsweetened*
  • 1 cup (250ml) water
  • 1 tsp (5ml) apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) canola oil

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
  2. Mix all the dry ingredients.
  3. Mix all wet ingredients and then combine with the dry ingredients.
  4. Pour batter into your large cast iron pan.
  5. Bake at 400°F/200°C for 35-40 minutes.
  6. Let cool for 10-20 minutes before serving with margarine over a bowl of chili!