Hedy Goldsmith's individual cornbreads are just the thing for a backyard barbecue or tailgate party. "If you leave room in the cans or jars, you can top the cornbreads with chili, Sloppy Joe filling or black bean-and-corn salad," says Goldsmith.
Spread half a cup of cornmeal on a baking sheet and bake until toasted, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid uneven baking. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Reserve the Corn Kernels
Cut the kernels from the corncobs, and break the cobs in half.
Flavor the Milk
Combine the cobs, kernels, milk, salt and vanilla seeds (save the pod for the glaze) in a saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer; adjust the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let the mixture steep until cool. Strain the kernels, and reserve the flavored milk and the kernels separately. Discard the cobs.
Grind the Dehydrated Corn
Grind the dehydrated corn to a fine powder in a food processor or blender.
Prepare the Batter
Put the corn powder, flour, toasted cornmeal, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Then, put the flavored milk, eggs, the remaining 6 tablespoons melted butter and the oil in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add the buttermilk and mix well, then mix in the strained corn kernels.
Fill the Tin Cans
Divide the cornbread batter among the cans or Mason jars, filling each three-quarters full. Bake for 15 minutes, rotate the baking sheets, and then bake again until the tops are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the cans or jars comes out clean, about another 20 minutes.
Bake, Glaze and Serve
Remove the cornbread from the oven and set the cans or jars on wire racks to cool for 10 to 15 minutes. With a fork or a skewer, poke holes into each cornbread; this will allow the syrup to soak into the bread. With a pastry brush, liberally paint the tops of the breads with buttery vanilla-bourbon glaze.
Hedy Goldsmith is an award-winning pastry chef and author of Baking Out Loud.
