Cornbread with Bacon Jam Swirls

Theres very few things that I make that Stephen just will not touch...unfortunately I've found one...bacon jam. He keeps making jokes and calling me a fat ...arse but hey even the kids liked it so pffft. Whatever! I've used it for a few things I do particularly adore it on pumpernickel with some cream cheese but it also works as a good sub for bacon. One tablespoon of bacon jam adds just the right bacon-y flavor. Its my homemade corn bread recipe with a few tablespoons of bacon jam and pink peppercorns for good measure. I've spent a good number of years looking for the top notch corn bread recipe and this is what I came up with, my secret is using an extra egg yolk. It adds a smoothness to the corn bread. It really helps prevent that dry sandy unpleasant texture some corn bread has. 

Bacon Jam? Well it really is one of those gifts that keep on giving. I personally think it would be a wicked awesome Christmas gift. I'd dig it, but then again I'm overweight and cant say no to pretty much anything that involves pork. For this evenings supper we had chop suey. Now I know some folks are probably like chop whaaaa? Isn't that Chinese? Well yes and no. Ok so American chop suey is something I remember eating at every single cafeteria lunch I had in New England. When we lived in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and even Maine it was on the school lunch menu's. Its pretty much glorified hamburger helper, often other regions just call it hamburger and macaroni. Mines a little different I tend to use left over chili thats most often made with venison sausage and lots of spice, sometimes I toss in some olives or sun dried tomatoes, next some elbow noodles and cover in cheese and thats that. Chili mac...I mean chop suey. We always had chili with corn bread and or elbow noodles as a kid so this was kind of a hybrid. Its chop suey, its corn bread, its chili mac. Its bacon-y. Something old, something new, something ...dead-ish? and cheesy and blue?

The very Best corn bread-

This is my basic corn bread recipe I like it kind of sweet and soft you could reduce the sweetener if you really want something more savory. I use this recipe for muffins or as a topping for tamale pie, most often I cook it in a skillet. I've seen people call it skillet corn bread, but I think thats just silly. Would we call it cake pan corn bread if we used a cake pan? You can use sugar, or honey, sometimes I use maple syrup even. You can add herbs, cheese or other flavors to mix it up. It is top notch on its own though. Or with bacon jam of course. Mmmm bacon. 

Dry Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose unbleached flour

1 cup yellow coarse ground corn meal

5 tablespoons honey or maple syrup (or 1/4 cup of sugar)

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 eggs 

1 egg yolk

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl combine dry ingredients and whisk together. Add wet ingredients and stir to combine. Pour into a skillet thats been buttered or muffin tins that have been lined or greased. Bake for 20-25 minutes for the skillet corn bread or about 18 minutes for regular sized muffins. You can also use corn shaped tins, mini tins.

Bacon Jam Swirl- I topped mine with 1/4 cup of bacon jam that I warmed up, drop a few dollops on top of the batter as well as 2 tablespoons of pink peppercorns. Use a fork to swirl the jam around and combine it slightly with the batter.