Maple Pumpkin Cornbread

Great cornbread starts with the best cornmeal. My favorite is the one from Farmer Ground Flour. It has the most lovely texture and rich, sweet flavor. The corn is organically grown by farms in upstate New York. The cornmeal is freshly ground to order on a stone mill in Trumansburg, just north of Ithaca. I wrote this cornbread recipe as a way to use up leftover roasted pumpkin. It is moist, decadent, slightly sweet. It is perfect served warm, with a dollop of cranberry sauce and whipped cream.

1 ½ cups Cornmeal
½ cup All Purpose Flour
½ Tbsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt
2 Eggs
1 ¼ cups Milk
4 Tbsp. Butter, melted
½ cup Maple Syrup
½ Roasted Pumpkin

Preheat your oven to 375°. Prepare an 8” inch square baking dish or a small cast iron pan by generously spreading the butter over the bottom and sides. Combine the cornmeal, flour, the baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In a medium bowl whisk together the milk, eggs, melted butter and syrup. Peel the roasted pumpkin and add the flesh to the bowl with the eggs and milk. Use an immersion blender (or a regular one) to puree the mixture thoroughly. Pour this mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to mix together. The batter should be wet enough to pour, but still thick like gruel. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 20-30 minutes until the top has begun to brown and the center has just set. When you touch it, it shouldn’t jiggle. Be careful not to over-bake, that will lead to dry cornbread.