During the past few months, I have been experimenting with cornbread. I tried a score of combinations before I hit on this. A neighbor friend asked the other day, "What do you do with your failures?" I wish the answer to all life's questions were as simple. We feed many birds here at Sunny acres. We have two feeders just across the fields and woodlands to Mount Crotched in the distance. The big feeders are near the window, and as Blanche and I eat at the antique, pine bread-board table, we can watch the birds eat too.
Even my worst cornbreads, crumbled, have been enjoyed by the birds.
This isn’t a complicated cornbread formula, but the secret of its appeal, judging by the way our friends and neighbors eat at our Saturday and Sunday suppers — is the touch of allspice. Offhand, I don’t recall seeing any cornbread recipe calling for allspice.
Use three fourths cup yellow corn meal, one and a third cups flour, three and a fourth teaspoon baking powder, one half teaspoon salt, one third cup white sugar, one fourth teaspoon allspice, two eggs beaten, one cup coffee cream or top of milk, one teaspoon white corn syrup.
Into a large bowl, sift the flour, corn meal, baking powder, salt, sugar, and allspice.
Add the beaten eggs, syrup, and cream. Mix well and beat thoroughly. Don’t be afraid to beat this for two-three minutes. Pour into a 10 by 10 baking tin and bake at 425 for about 30 minutes. This corn bread makes hit with all our friends, and we use it with beef stew, corn chowder, and baked beans. I can make a supper on it with a couple glasses of cold creamy milk, and about half a normal-sized juicy, tangy rhubarb pie.
