With all of it’s sweet, yellow glory, Jiffy cornbread is still one of my favorite things to eat during the holidays. My grandmother would make it all the time when I spent weeks living at her house in Northern Florida. It wasn’t just for Sunday dinner or holidays. My grandmother would make cornbread to go alongside her collard greens and cabbage. Cornbread would appear while she simmered turkey wings. She pulled cornbread out of the oven to pair with her potato salad.

Even though Jiffy was her go-to, she had a couple of “signature” moves. The most controversial amongst them, especially for the white cornmeal cornbread fans, was the addition of extra sugar. hot melted butter at the bottom of the pan. She would substitute evaporated milk at times, which really gave the bread a soft, tender and creamy texture. There was even the time she added mayonnaise to the base. Unaware of the key ingredients in mayonnaise, I thought this was a very novel trick.

While my grandmother mixed the batter, golden plops of butter slowly melted and bubbled in the pan as the oven preheated. I would hold the bowl steady as she slowly streamed that lightly browned butter into the batter. The butter would form these streams in the batter like hot brown butter lava. Following a quick stir, the batter hit the pan with sizzles and pops. Less than 30 minutes later, the sweet, buttery smell of baked cornbread meant it was time to eat.

My version of cornbread is inspired by the flavor and texture of Jiffy with elements reminiscent of my grandmother. It is sweeter than a white cornmeal cornbread with a fair amount of sugar complemented by a bit of honey. You could experiment with just using milk or evaporated milk, but neither one of those contribute to the tender crumb that you want. They also do not provide a balance to the sweetness of this cornbread. No matter what, get that butter-coated pan hot enough to crisp and crust the edges. You’ll make every Southern grandmother proud.

Cast Iron Cornbread – Serves 10 to 12
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus more for serving (optional)
1 1/4 cups fine yellow cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
3 tablespoons honey, plus more for serving (optional)
1/4 cup neutral oil (ie. grapeseed, vegetable, canola, etc)
2 eggs, at room temperature
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling, optional

Drop 2 tablespoons of butter into a 12” cast iron, and slide the pan into the oven. Preheat the oven 400F.

Melt the remaining butter, and set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and sugar.

Check on the melting butter in the pan. Swirl it around to check the smell and color. If it’s a little frothy, lightly golden brown and smells a little nutty, set the pan on the stovetop. If you can go a couple more minutes, slide the pan back into the oven.

In a 4-cup measuring cup or medium-sized bowl, whisk the buttermilk, the cooled 1/4 cup butter, honey, oil and milk. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry mixture until just combined. Very small lumps in the batter are fine.

Swirl the cast iron pan once more to coat the bottom and sides with the hot butter. Carefully and slowly pour the batter into the pan, making sure to avoid splashing the hot butter around.

Slide the pan into the oven once more, and bake for 30-35 min. Once the edges and top are golden brown, an inserted toothpick comes out clean, and the cornbread springs back when touched, it’s done.

Best served with soft butter, honey and a tiny sprinkling of flaky sea salt.