Blue Ribbon Vegan Cornbread

Posted by Diana van Eyk on December 21st, 2010

Thanks to Tara Herman for this award winning cornbread recipe.

I was skeptical that pareve cornbread could be moist at all, never mind an award winner. Imagine my surprise when Cook’s Illustrated reported a recipe for vegan cornbread that actually won the blue ribbon at the Iowa State Fair… and those folks know their corn.

DANA SLY’S BLUE RIBBON VEGAN CORNBREAD Serves 9

photo: Creative Commons, SanFranAnnie's photostream

• 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
• 6 Tbsp. water
• 1 C all-purpose flour
• 1 C cornmeal
1/4 C sugar
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. table salt
• 1 C soy milk
• 1/4 C canola oil

1.    Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray 8-inch-square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2.    Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the ground flax seed, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer the ground flax seed in the water for 3 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
3.    In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well-combined.
4.    Add the ground flax seed mixture, soy milk, and canola oil to the flour mixture. Beat just until smooth (do not overbeat.)
5.    Turn into prepared baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
6.    Cool on wire rack 10 minutes; invert cornbread onto wire rack, then turn right side up and continue to cool until warm, about 10 minutes longer. Cut into pieces and serve.

The “secret” to the recipe is a mysterious ingredient I’ve never worked with before: ground flaxseed, or “flaxseed meal”. When cooked briefly with hot water, it gets very thick and gummy and adds body to the cornbread that more fat or a dairy product otherwise would. Even better, a mere two tablespoons of ground flaxseed contains four grams of fiber and three grams of protein, plus other random healthful things that ward off cancer and decrease cholesterol.  A wonder food, indeed, and it makes a very moist, pareve cornbread.