Rosemary Cornbread

You know how sometimes you just happen to stumble upon a recipe, when you weren't even looking? Well, that's what happened to me with this bread. I was just checking my email when all of a sudden Martha Stewart sends me this recipe, which is very nice of her (I'm on the emailing list). I love cornbread, and this is a recent development. I use to not care for it when my mom made, which happened about once a year. But this year something changed, and I grew very fond of this yellow soft yet crunchy bread. 
 

This recipe isn't the traditional cornbread. The rosemary gives the bread a unique strong flavor. The bread is very moist and I thought it was excellent, half is already gone! If you are not a fan of rosemary you could reduce the amount in the bread. But remember it is called Rosemary Cornbread so it will taste like rosemary. 

Rosemary Cornbread Recipe:

Cornbread with rosemary and olive oil is just barely sweet; match it up with cheese, olives, and white wine. Look for poplar-wood molds (such as Panibois) at baking-supply stores (they come with paper liners). You can also make one loaf using a nine-by-five-by-two and-a-half-inch loaf pan, brushed with melted butter. To keep the loaf from getting too heavy or dense, avoid overmixing the batter when you incorporate the dry ingredients. Use the lowest speed on your mixer, and add the dry ingredients gradually, mixing them just until they're wet.

Makes two 5-inch loaves
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus 6 sprigs for garnish (optional)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
5 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put cornmeal in a large bowl. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into cornmeal. Stir in chopped rosemary.
Put eggs, sugar, buttermilk, and oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches; mix until just combined.
Divide batter between two 5 1/8-by-3 3/4-by-2-inch wooden molds; top each with 3 rosemary sprigs, if desired (remove before cutting). Bake until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely in molds on a wire rack. Store at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, up to 2 days.

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