Anyone else inspired by the cooling temperatures to spend extra time in the kitchen baking all your favorite fall recipes? I know I sure am.

I always get so excited about making my favorite recipe for Spicy Cornbread. It tastes so good along with my fall turnip greens (or any greens, for that matter). My family loves the little kick from the diced jalapeno and the texture from the corn and stone ground cornmeal. I’ve included the recipe for you below!

As you are preparing your seasonal recipes, we suggest using real stone-ground cornmeal instead of the usual supermarket cornmeal mix. 

Why’s that?

All cornmeal is not the same.

Stone-ground cornmeal and your typical grocery store cornmeal have different ways of being processed — and thus different nutritional values. 

Stone-ground cornmeal vs. grocery store cornmeal — what’s the difference?

Your typical grocery store cornmeal is ground using metal rollers. The hull and germ are removed from the corn kernel, creating a finer texture. Some brands may add additional ingredients to the cornmeal to try to return the nutrients that are lost in the metal rolling process.

Stone-ground cornmeal, on the other hand, is ground with it — you guessed it — a stone. Therefore, some of the corn kernel’s hull and germ remain, keeping more nutrients intact. Stone-ground cornmeal tends to have a more coarse texture and have a “cornier” flavor. 

When shopping for cornmeal at the grocery store look for phrasing like “stone-ground whole corn” on the label to verify that you’re purchasing truly stone ground cornmeal.

4 Yummy Autumn Recipes Using Stone-Ground Cornmeal

Besides using stone-ground cornmeal in your favorite Thanksgiving dressing recipe, here are four seasonal recipes that use stone-ground cornmeal to inspire your next time in the kitchen.

Leigh’s Spicy Cornbread

This is my famous spicy cornbread that my family raves over. If you prepare the recipe, I would really love to hear your feedback! You can email me at stoneycreekfarmtennessee@gmail.com.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup plus two rounded tablespoons stone ground cornmeal
  • 1 TBS  baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 TBS sugar (rounded)
  • 1 cup drained corn
  • 2 large beaten eggs
  • 1 diced jalapeno (remove seeds if you want it less spicy)
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 6 TBS of butter 

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
  2. Slice butter and place around a 9 or 10 inch cast iron skillet. Place the skillet in oven to preheat and melt the butter. 
  3. Mix all dry ingredients with a whisk (to sift together). 
  4. Add eggs and milk and stir until smooth. 
  5. Add corn and diced jalapeno and stir until distributed in mixture. 
  6. When the oven is preheated and butter is hot, take the skillet out of the oven, and pour the batter into the skillet — it should sizzle a bit. 
  7. Place cornbread back in the oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes (depending on your oven) until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. 
  8. Enjoy a hot slice with butter on it!

Cranberry Cornmeal Scones with Pecans

Cranberries and pecans are always a tasty fall combination, and a warm scone on a chilly fall morning is a welcome way to begin any autumn day.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup stone ground cornmeal
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons cold butter
  • 3/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/3 cup chopped pecans
  • 3 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

View the recipe here.

Pumpkin Cornbread

We love a side of fresh, homemade cornbread, but pumpkin cornbread?! This is a seasonal twist that we’re so curious to try!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup drained pumpkin purée, canned or made from 1 pound fresh pumpkin (see below)
  • 1 cup low-fat milk
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon mild honey, such as clover
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups stone ground yellow cornmeal
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

View the full recipe here.

Better-Than-Granny’s Creamed Corn

Better than granny’s? That’s a bold statement, but we’re betting this creamed corn can at least live up to being as good as granny’s creamed corn.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 ounces onion (diced fine)
  • 2 pinches kosher salt
  • 1 sprig rosemary (bruised, this is, crushed roughly between your hands*)
  • 8 ears fresh corn (about 3 pounds total)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric (to up the yellow a bit)
  • 2 tablespoons stone ground cornmeal
  • 1 cup heavy cream (it is called “creamed corn” ya know)
  • 1 pinch black pepper (freshly ground)

View the full recipe here.

Happy fall and happy cooking from our kitchen at Stoney Creek Farm to yours!

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