Cornbread For Your Baby

I got an itch to do some baking and knowing that there was a bag of Coarse Maize Meal I decided to try my hand at Cornbread. IT's super easy to make and bakes in no time at all. Plus, given that it can easily be adapted to be either savory or sweet, it's really versatile.

Since his arrival we've also discovered that we have a third fan of Thai cuisine in the house. Beckett especially loves Thai Green Curry. So how could I not share with you Saba's own Thai Green Curry recipe.

What particularly makes Thai cuisine suitable for a baby is the different ingredients that are key to good Thai food. Perhaps unsurprisingly at the core of this is fresh vegetables and the best cuts of meat. When it comes to Thai food you only use the freshest vegetables and ingredients. This was something that Tao stressed was beyond important - use nothing but freshly prepared ingredients at all times.

Christian's Raspberry Cornbread

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 to 3 tbsp sugar
2-1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil or melted butter
1 cup fresh raspberries


Cooking
Preheat the oven to 205°C. In a medium bowl stir together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup cornmeal, 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar, 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Set the bowl aside. While the quantities are very low, if you are restricting your baby's salt and sugar completely, these can be left out without affecting the bread's consistency.

Use an 8x8x2-inch baking pan. Instead of greasing the pan, add 1 tablespoon butter to the pan and place it in the preheated oven for about 3 minutes or until the butter melts. Remove the pan from the oven, and swirl the melted butter to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Starting with a hot buttered pan helps to develop crisp edges on the corn bread. The butter also adds flavor.

In a small bowl beat 2 large eggs with a fork just until combined. Stir in 1 cup milk and 1/4 cup cooking oil or melted butter. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture all at once. With a wooden spoon, stir just until combined. The batter will be lumpy. Overcome the urge to mix until smooth. Overmixing can cause the corn bread to peak and have tunnels, which can result in a tough texture.

Fold in your raspberries, avoiding crushing them too much - you want to leave as many intact and whole as possible.

Place the pan back in the oven to rewarm it briefly if it has cooled down. Carefully pour the batter into the hot pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

With a serrated knife, cut the corn bread into 8 to 10 squares or wedges. Serve the corn bread warm. Or cool completely, wrap in plastic wrap or foil, place in a resealable plastic bag or storage container, and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

And you're done. The Cornbread is best served hot so try and bake it just before you want to eat it. The overall consistency of Cornbread makes it ideal for Baby Led Weaning so do try cutting manageable 'soldiers' that baby can pick up themselves and eat.