Make boxed cornbread, better.
Jiffy cornbread mix is pretty much the gold standard when it comes to whipping up cornbread quickly and easily. In a jiffy, if you will. The little, retro-looking boxed mix has been beloved for decades. But to be honest, it is a little plain and dry. But not anymore. Here are 6 Jiffy cornbread hacks to make your favorite boxed mix cornbread even better.
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A plain box of Jiffy cornbread mix is a little like a blank canvas: plain, dry, and the basis for making things more interesting and special. Luckily, Jiffy mix is perfectly amenable to becoming more sweet or savory, and makes a great base to add all kinds of fun mix ins.
These Jiffy cornbread baking hacks are taken from one of my favorite cookbooks of 2020, the talented Kelly Fields’s Good Book of Southern Baking. Kelly Fields is the chef of award-winning Southern seasonal restaurant Willa Jean in New Orleans. A “revival of biscuits, cakes, and cornbread,” her cookbook makes essential reading for anyone who loves homey, honest, well-made desserts.
Her “Jiffy Fix” page (page 37, to be exact) covers sweet and savory baking hacks. Below are my favorites from her long, fun list.
Greatest Hits: Savory Baking Hacks to Make Jiffy Cornbread Better
- Moisture: Add 1/3 cup sour cream or replace 2/3 cup milk with buttermilk. You can also add one 8-ounce can of strained cream corn. This also makes it extra corny.
- Texture and color add-ins: Add 1 cup fresh corn kernels, 1 cup chopped roasted bell pepper or pimentos
- Spice and heat: Add 1 cup chopped roasted or jarred, drained jalapeños. You can also add a teaspoon of cayenne.
- Up the savory flavor: Fold in 4 to 6 slices of cooked, crumbled bacon or breakfast sausage
- Make it cheesy: Add 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Or mix and match the combos above. I also love to add scallions.
Greatest Hits: Sweet Baking Hacks to Make Jiffy Cornbread Better
- Add more sweetener: Chef Fields suggests adding two tablespoons of honey to the batter. You could also add plain sugar or maple syrup, and sprinkle some sugar on top before baking.
- Fold in fruit: Add a cup of blueberries or raspberries. Fields also suggests tossing 2 peeled peaches in light brown sugar and folding it into the batter.
- Give it autumn vibes: Add one 15-ounce can of pureéd pumpkin with 1/2 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves. Add another egg as well.
- Brighten with citrus: add the zest of juice of 1 orange or 2 lemons into the batter and bake.
Did you hack your Jiffy cornbread to make it better this year? Tell us about it!
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