Cornbread, Ain't Nothin' Wrong with That

Chris Rock has forever ruined cornbread for me. I can't even begin to utter the words without immediately thinking: "Ain't nothin' wrong with that!!"And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, you should listen to this while you bake this AMAZING, incredibly perfect cornbread:





I've tried other recipes before, and they always sort of fall flat. They're really bland or too dry. But this recipe I recreated from a concoction of Paula Dean and classic southern cooking web research is the bomb. I like my cornbread sweet, and dare I say, like the Jiffy corn muffin mix. It reminds me of my dad, who - other than his homemade spaghetti and incredibly awesome home-fries - was known for making Jiffy corn muffins almost every morning. And if you don't already know, the Jiffy corn muffin mix is not vegan. So, it really warms my heart to be able to eat what I ate so often as a child.

Cornbread: the sweet, buttermilk-y kind  
- Makes about 9 squares. Keep covered in plastic wrap near your oven if not eating immediately. It will last a few days like that. 

- 8 tablespoons Earth Balance buttery spread (or 1 stick - I use the tubs, though)
- 2/3 cup sugar (there is a vegan refined sugar you can get from Whole Foods Market)
- 2 "eggs", Ener-g Egg replacer eggs made per package instructions
- 1 cup soy "buttermilk" (1 cup soy milk plus 1 tablespoon vinegar left to curdle about 5-10 minutes)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (you can also sub in whole wheat pastry flour)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat your oven to 375 F. Grease your square (8x8) glass pan a little Earth Balance.
2. Start your buttermilk and let it sit while you get your ingredients ready.
3. Whip up your 2 Ener-g Egg Replacers eggs per package instructions. Make sure to whisk them really well! Set aside. You'll need them ready. 
4. Whisk together your cornmeal, flour, and salt. Set aside.
5. Melt Earth Balance in large skillet, being careful not to burn. Remove from heat just when melted and stir in your vegan sugar. Quickly add your Ener-g eggs and whisk together until well blended. 
6. Add the baking soda to the soy "buttermilk" you've prepared, and stir into pan. 
7. Stir in your whisked cornmeal, flour, and salt mixture until well blended and few lumps remain. 
8. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
9. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.