Sweet Cornbread

Beware the mix! I really like sweet cornbread (as opposed to a more savory cornbread), and used to buy Jiffy cornbread mix. It was quick, easy, and had a great texture and taste. But, as it turned out, it wasn't vegetarian.

Sadly, the mix used lard, which as you know from previous recipes is most definitely not vegetarian. So I started searching for a recipe I could use to make a cornbread I really liked, and with ingredients I was happy to eat.

It took a while, and a little experimenting, but this recipe really does it for me. It's almost more like cake, but has a great consistency and I know I'm o.k. with everything going into it! It's much easier and faster than you might think, and after the first couple of times you'll be able to quickly whip this up to have with a bowl of chili or some tofu bar-b-que.

• 1 C all-purpose flour

• 1 C cornmeal

• 2/3 C sugar

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• 2/3 C sour cream

• 1/3 C milk

• 1/4 C butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 400, and lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish.

2. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.

3. In a smaller bowl, mix egg, sour cream, milk and butter.

4. Fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture until just moistened.

5. Pour into the greased baking dish.

6. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, approximately 20-25 minutes.

• If you don't like sweet cornbread, you can try cutting down on the sugar a little - but it will impact how this bakes.

• If the edges start to get too brown before the middle has fully cooked, put aluminum foil around the edges of your pan. It will stop the edges from burning while the middle continues to cook.