Rich Southern Cornbread for Dressing

Extra eggs enrich this very traditional unsweetened cornbread prepared especially for making big-family-occasion cornbread dressing. A variation for the table follows.

3/4 cup Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix
1 cup yellow corn meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs
3/4 - 1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vegetable shortening or oil suitable for high heat

Place a 6-inch iron skillet in oven and preheat to 400°. Whisk together Pamela’s Pancake & Baking Mix, corn meal, and baking powder. Stir in eggs until combined, then add buttermilk slowly, using just enough to form a loose batter. Spoon shortening in skillet and return to oven until melted and hot. (Shortening is hot enough when a drop of batter sizzles in it.) Tilt pan to coat with hot shortening. Carefully pour batter into hot pan and return to oven. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 2 to 3 minutes before turning out onto board.

Make Rich Southern Cornbread for Dressing up to one day ahead, if desired. Cool cornbread completely before wrapping for storage.

Yields enough cornbread to make six generous servings of Southern Cornbread Dressing. To double the recipe, use a nine-inch skillet and allow five to ten minutes more in the oven. To triple the recipe, use a twelve-inch skillet, and allow yet a few minutes more.

Variation:

Pamela’s Classic Southern Cornbread for the Table, reduce the Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix to 1/2 cup, reduce the eggs to two, and serve hot from the oven with plenty of butter.