CAMILLA'S CORNBREAD
1 cup all-purpose flour\n1 cup cornmeal (not cornbread mix)\n3 tablespoons sugar\n1/2 teaspoon salt\n4 teaspoons baking powder\n2 eggs\n1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted, cooled, unsalted butter\n1 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or butter an 8-inch square baking dish. In a medium bowl combine the flour, corn meal, sugar, salt and baking powder. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs; stir in oil and milk. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture; stir just until combined (batter may be slightly lumpy). Pour the batter into prepared pan; bake about 35 minutes or until top is lightly golden. Serve hot or warm. Makes about 6 servings. (Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap or store in airtight container)\nSAVORY OPTIONS Add any of the following options, or combine one or more for your own unique combination: \n• 2-3 tablespoons fresh, minced herbs (e.g., cilantro, parsley, basil or sage)\n• 1 cup sauteed, chopped onions\n• 2-3 chopped fresh jalapeno chilies\n• 1 cup sauteed, chopped bell peppers\n• 1/2 cup cooked, crumbled bacon (reserve some of the bacon fat and use in place of all or some of the vegetable oil)\n• 1 cup chopped, lightly toasted pecans\n• 1 and 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Jack cheese\nSWEET OPTIONS: Increase sugar to 1/3 cup. After combining wet and dry ingredients, stir in 1 and 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries or cranberries or 3/4 cup dried cranberries, dried cherries or snipped apricots. 1 tablespoon grated orange zest might also be added. Bake\nas above.\nMEXICAN CORNBREAD: Add 2 teaspoons ground cumin and 1 teaspoon chili powder to the dry ingredients (optional). When combining wet and dry ingredients, also stir in 1 cup fresh, canned (drained) or frozen (thawed) corn kernels, 1 4-ounce can chopped (drained) diced green chilies and 1 cup shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese. Bake as above.\nBUTTERMILK OPTION: Decrease baking powder to 3 teaspoons and add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to dry ingredients. Replace milk with 1 cup buttermilk. (This will produce a lighter tasting bread with a distinctive tang and a slightly crunchier crust). Proceed as above.
