Cornbread sticks are a Southern specialty and an example of function following form. I imagine that whoever dreamed them up was probably just trying to be cute by fashioning a corn-shaped mold for cornbread, but the end product, with its high ratio of crispy crust to soft innards and perfect shape for dipping in chili or pot likker, is a whole different animal. In this version, I kick things up a notch by adding sharp Cheddar cheese and spicy jalapeño pepper. If you don’t have (or care to purchase) a corn stick pan—cast-iron only—you can, of course, use a skillet.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 14 corn sticks / one 9- or 10-inch skillet

　　1 cup yellow cornmeal

　　1/2 cup all-purpose flour

　　1 cup (4 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese

　　1 jalapeño pepper, cored, seeded, and minced (about 2 tablespoons)

　　2 tablespoons sugar

　　2 teaspoons baking powder

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　1/2 teaspoon baking soda

　　1 1/4 cups well-shaken buttermilk

　　4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

　　2 large eggs, lightly beaten

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

　　

Step 2

Lightly grease 2 cast-iron corn stick pans and place in the oven to heat while you mix the batter. (If you have only one pan, halve the recipe or bake in batches, taking care to preheat the pan again before baking the second batch. The batter will be fine left at room temperature while the first batch bakes.)

　　

Step 3

Stir together the cornmeal, flour, cheese, jalapeño, sugar, baking powder, salt, black pepper, and baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk the buttermilk, butter, and eggs in a separate bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir just to combine. Do not overmix; the batter should have a lumpy appearance.

　　

Step 4

Remove the pans from the oven and spoon about 2 heaping tablespoons of batter into each mold. Return the pans to the oven and bake until the sticks are slightly puffed and golden, about 15 minutes (20 to 25 minutes if using a skillet). Remove from the oven and serve warm.

　　Reprinted with permission from Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal by Sara Foster. Copyright © 2011 by Sara Foster. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Sara Foster is the owner of Foster's Market, the acclaimed gourmet take-out store/cafés in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the author of several cookbooks including The Foster's Market Cookbook, winner of the Best Cookbook Award from the Southeast Booksellers Association. She has appeared numerous times on Martha Stewart Living Television and NBC's Today show. She has also been featured in magazines such as More, House Beautiful, and Southern Living, and is featured regularly in Bon Appétit.