Buttermilk Spoon Bread Recipes

BUTTERMILK SPOON BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 2-quart casserole dish with butter. Heat milk and buttermilk in a medium-size heavy saucepan over medium until steaming but not boiling. (Look for small bubbles forming around edges of saucepan.) Gradually pour cornmeal into milk mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking or stirring with a large spoon. (Scrape sides of saucepan as you whisk to prevent lumps from forming.) Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring often, until cornmeal dissolves completely and mixture thickens, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Remove cornmeal mixture from heat. Add butter, chopped thyme, salt, and pepper, stirring until butter melts and mixture is combined. Let stand 10 minutes.
• Place egg yolks in a medium bowl. Stir in 2 cups of the cornmeal mixture until combined. Transfer cornmeal-egg yolk mixture to remaining cornmeal mixture in saucepan, stirring quickly until combined. (Mixture may still look a little grainy or lumpy.)
• Beat egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 ½ minutes. Gently fold egg whites into cornmeal mixture using a spatula or large spoon until mixture becomes a smooth batter with no streaks remaining.
• Spoon batter into prepared casserole dish. Bake in preheated oven until spoon bread is puffed up, firm, and lightly browned, 35 to 40 minutes. (Note that spoon bread will initially puff up to great heights but then deflate within minutes of leaving the oven.) Serve hot or warm.

SWEET BUTTERMILK SPOON BREADS

Steps:

• Butter and sugar six 2/3-to 3/4-cup ramekins. Bring 1 cup water and next 5 ingredients just to boil in medium saucepan, stirring occasionally. Gradually whisk in cornmeal. Reduce heat to low; stir until mixture is thick and creamy, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in yolks.
• Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Stir 1/3 of whites into cornmeal mixture. Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions. Divide among ramekins. Place on rimmed baking sheet. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake spoon breads until almost set in center, about 22 minutes (26 minutes if chilled). Serve immediately with strawberry preserves.