After years of experimentation this is the only one we will use. It is a combination of several and my own ideas and my family loves it. My only criteria is that you can't make decent cornbread if you don't use a cast iron skillet! It is light and moist with a slightly crunchy crust.
Ann's Favorite Corn Bread
Combine the following ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine:
1 cup self rising corn meal - we like yellow but you can use white
1/2 cup self rising flour
2 Tablespoons sugar - or Splenda
2 large pinches baking soda
2 large pinches ground red pepper flakes (I take red pepper flakes and run them through a spice grinder) you can omit
1/2 of an onion - minced (or you can use 1 Tablespoon dried and pulverized in a mortar and pestal) you can omit
1/2 cup cheddar cheese - you can omit
Jalapeno pepper to taste - you can omit
Combine the following in a blender:
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup frozen corn
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons olive oil - or any oil
Set oven to 400 degrees. Place a greased 9" cast iron skillet into the oven while it is preheats.
Mix first set of ingredients and set aside. Mix blender ingredients until corn is almost pulverized beyond recognition but you can still see little bits of it. (it shouldn't take long) Mix the wet ingredients into the bowl and stir only enough to combine and moisten. Pour mixture into the hot cast iron skillet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until it tests done in the middle. It should be nice and brown on the outside. Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and serve. If you are brave you can try to invert the skillet but those babies are heavy. I cut and serve it from the skillet. Makes 8 servings.