Corniest Corn Bread (or Muffins)

Corn bread is a great addition to your Thanksgiving feast and this is the best recipe I've made yet! Simple as can be with corn meal and spelt flour as its base and lightly sweetened with a bit of palm sugar. When corn was in season here in New York, the added juicy sweetness of the corn kernels was a real treat, but it's great without them too. As I mentioned last week this goes perfectly with the Potato Leek Soup. Enjoy! Corniest Corn Bread (or Muffins)Adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking.              

1 cup spelt flour 1 cup stone-ground cornmeal (aka polenta) 3 tbl palm sugar 2 ½ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt pinch nutmeg (optional) 1 cup buttermilk 6 tbl butter, melted and cooled 1 large egg 1 egg yolk 1 ear fresh corn kernels (when available, optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter muffin tins or square 9” pan.

In a large bowl whisk all the dry ingredients together. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk buttermilk, butter, egg, egg yolk until blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry and gently but quickly stir to blend. Do not overmix. Stir in corn kernels. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until top is golden and a thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Nutrition Nuggets

Spelt is an ancient grain, a distant elder cousin of modern wheat. It is, in fact, one of the earliest crops grown in the Western world. As a grass-derived grain, spelt is the perfect substitute for white or whole wheat flour when baking. It is an excellent alternative for those allergic to wheat since it contains different forms of gluten than modern wheat. The type of gluten found in spelt is much more fragile than the gluten found in wheat which makes it much easier for the body to break down and digest. Spelt also provides double the amount of protein and fiber than is found in most common varieties of commercial wheat. It is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates as well as B vitamins and minerals.