Skillet Corn Bread

What better southern staple for dinner than a good piece of hot corn bread.  I loved when my mom made cornbread and then I would slather it up with some butter, you were in heaven.  My mom always told me, to make good corn bread you have to have a cast iron skillet, I know you can make it in other skillets, but cast iron really does work best.  Up until now, I have never tried making homemade cornbread, and now I wish I had been making it more after I realized how easy this was.  I

I will say this, I personally like my cornbread a little sweet, even though I didn't add any sugar to this recipe, I probably will in the future.  Also, I will probably cut the salt to 1/2 teaspoon, 1 teaspoon was a little much for me.

Skillet Corn Bread pg. 273

1/4 cup lard or shortening
2 cups fine yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Heat the lard over medium heat, once melted make sure you coat all sides of pan with it. 

In a large bowl whisk together all your dry ingredients, then in small bowl whisk together the eggs and buttermilk.    Fold the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. 

Pour the batter into your skillet,  make sure your skillet is really hot, this is the key to a nice crust.  Bake until golden brown, serve hot and enjoy.