Date Bacon And Rosemary Corn Bread Food

ROSEMARY CORNBREAD

Steps:

• 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.

DATE, BACON AND ROSEMARY CORN BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with vegetable oil. Line the inside perimeter of the pan with the halved dates, putting the rounded side of the dates toward the pan. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, pepper and rosemary. In another bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. Whisk in the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the flour mixture, the chopped dates and the bacon and stir just to combine.
• Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake until the bread is lightly browned and firm to the touch, about 20 to 25 minutes.
• Mix the maple syrup and cayenne together. Remove the sides of the pan and brush the dates and the top of the bread with the maple syrup. Cut into thin wedges and serve warm with roast chicken, lamb or pork.

GRANDMA'S BACON FAT CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Whisk the cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda together in a large bowl. Whisk the buttermilk and eggs together in a medium bowl. Fold the wet ingredients into the cornmeal mixture until just combined; set aside.
• Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat. When the skillet is smoking-hot, turn off the heat and add the fat, carefully stirring it around the pan as it melts. Pour the melted fat into the cornmeal batter and stir to combine. (Do not wipe out the skillet.) Pour the cornmeal mixture into the hot skillet (batter will sizzle) and bake until the edges are golden brown and the center bounces back when pressed with a finger, 18 to 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

BACON-WRAPPED DATES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Stuff each date with 1 to 2 almonds. Wrap each date with half a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
• Bake, turning the dates halfway through so the bacon is evenly cooked, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

HERB AND BACON CORN-BREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325° F. and butter a 4-quart baking dish.
• Cut corn bread into 1/2-inch cubes and dry in 2 large shallow baking pans in oven 20 minutes. Remove corn bread from oven and leave oven at 325° F. Coarsely chop separately celery, onions, and bacon.
• In a large, deep skillet sauté bacon over moderately high heat, stirring, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add celery and onions and cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add herbs and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
• In a large bowl toss together corn bread and bacon mixture and transfer to baking dish. Stuffing may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and cooled completely before being chilled, covered.
• Drizzle stock or broth over stuffing and bake, covered, 1 hour. Drizzle reserved fat or butter over stuffing and bake, uncovered, in upper third of oven 30 minutes more, or until top is golden.