Sweet Rosemary Cornbread
16 Mini Loaves
3 cups coarse cornmeal, toasted and cooled
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 ½ Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
4 tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp fine sea salt
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 cups buttermilk, room temperature
½ cup canola oil
3 large eggs, room temperature
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 Tbsp local honey
1) Toast the cornmeal in a non-stick skillet until darkened in color and aromatic. Set aside to cool completely.
2) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Set the two mini-loaf pans in the oven to preheat as well.
3) In a spice grinder (I use my coffee bean grinder), grind together the two Tbsps sugar with the rosemary leaves.
4) In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, the remaining cup of the sugar, the rosemary sugar, the baking powder, salt, chili powder, black pepper and cooled cornmeal.
5) In a smaller bowl, whisk together the three eggs, the oil and the buttermilk.
6) Create a well in the dry mix, add the wet and gently fold together with a spatula until no lumps remain.
7) Remove the hot pans from the oven, lightly spray with baking spray and portion the batter into the pans filling each mini loaf to just below the brim.
8) Bake for fifteen minutes, rotate the pans, and bake for another eight to ten minutes until the tops are cracked and golden.
9) While the loaves bake, melt together the butter and honey.
10) Remove the pans from the oven, let sit for five minutes and then brush the tops of the loaves with the honey butter. Let cool another five minutes and then remove the loaves from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack.
