Cornbread is an incredibly versatile quickbread; there are quite a few sweet and savory versions, but I was looking for the simplest recipe out there. I found exactly what I was looking for on TheFreshLoaf.com, a user-friendly forum for baking enthusiasts like myself. Cornbread is a light, crumbly bread often coupled with chili, soups, stews or enjoyed with sweet cream butter. As I was mixing up this batch of cornbread, I had a sudden stroke of genius and decided to make a snazzy “specialty” butter—one whipped with honey and orange zest.The sweetness of the honey and the sharpness of the orange zest add a much-needed kick to the cornbread.

Ingredients: 1 cup cornmeal, 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup milk, 1/3 cup canola oil, and one egg.

Mix all the ingredients together, and pour into an 8” by 8” pan or a 13” by 9” pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, depending on the pan size used.

Next up, the honey-orange butter: The basic formula for this delicious butter with a sharp citrus twist is 2 parts butter, 1 part honey, and 1 heaping tablespoon orange zest. Beat the ingredients together with a mixer on high speed. This butter is a perfect match for cornbread, muffins, bagels or any number of other breakfast pastries!