My grandmother and mother very often made cornbread sticks along with our summer suppers when I was a child. I grew up on Cape Cod, and we ate a lot of fresh fish back in those days. Cod, haddock, flounder, and bluefish were all staples at our summer table. Cornbread is eaten alongside fish to help push down any bones you might accidentally swallow. Due to food allergies, and tragically polluted and overfished waters, we’ve stopped eating the fish. But the cornbread sticks have remained. My mother still bakes them up every year when we go back East for our annual summer reunions, and I make them for my kids, who love them just as much as I always have. I make them with my Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix, but you may also use Gluten-Free Bread Flour Mix (page 158) for a more intense flavor and a slightly more crumbly texture.

　　

Ingredients

makes 14 bread sticks

　　1 cup rice milk

　　1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

　　1 cup Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix (page 19)

　　1 cup yellow cornmeal

　　1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

　　3/4 teaspoon salt

　　1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder

　　1/4 cup granulated sugar

　　1 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 2 tablespoons rice milk

　　1/4 cup dairy-free, soy-free vegetable shortening, melted

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease two cornstick pans liberally with vegetable shortening (I prefer using this to baking spray, because it remains more stable at high temperatures). Alternately, you may also use a muffin pan, popover pan, or cast-iron skillet.

　　

Step 2

Combine the rice milk and lemon juice. Set aside.

　　

Step 3

Whisk together the flour mix, cornmeal, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a large bowl.

　　

Step 4

Add the rice milk mixture and stir to combine. Add the egg replacer and melted shortening. Stir a couple of times until smooth. Fill the cornstick molds two-thirds full. Smooth the tops so the batter fills the mold. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden. Turn out immediately onto a cooling rack, or better yet, into a bread basket to be passed at the table. Serve warm.

　　Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook