Cornbread and turkey go really well together, so if you don’t have anything cornbread related planned for this year’s feast, I’d reconsider. I usually make a cornbread and sausage stuffing every Thanksgiving. It’s kind of amazing and probably one of the reasons why my husband wanted to be my husband, but I digress…that’s a completely different recipe.
If I were to be serving cornbread as a side on its own, this maple and sage cornbread would be it. It has a wonderful savoriness from the sage and just a hint of sweetness thanks to the maple syrup.
Since sage is the quintessential Thanksgiving herb, adding it to cornbread seemed like a no-brainer for Thanksgiving (I’m surprised I didn’t think of it earlier). Also, before I forget, you’re gonna want to eat this cornbread warm with a generous smathering of butter–take my word for it!
One week ‘til Thanksgiving! Yay!
Maple and Sage Cornbread
Adapted from The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion
The original recipe in my cookbook was for Maple Cornbread, so I added in the sage to make it more festive and flavorful. If you’re looking for a more standard cornbread recipe, try this one but omit the sage.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk (whole, 2% and skim all work)
1/4 cup maple syrup (I use grade B)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and butter an 8×8 metal baking pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the milk, maple syrup, melted butter, eggs, and sage. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until the mixture is just moistened (the batter will still be lumpy).
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and a cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the center.
Serve the cornbread warm with lots of butter on the side.
Makes one 8×8 inch loaf.
