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Bill Roche's Cornbread

Sharon Schilling brought this tender, lightly sweet, oniony cornbread to her second Cornbread Supper in May, 2011. We immediately begged for the recipe and for information about its origin. Sharon replied that Bill Roche is a special person in her life, who "just tinkered around with my Mom's cornbread recipe, adding the yogurt one day bec we were out of buttermilk (now we only use yogurt), adding the onions bec he likes them, using local Wisenberger Mills products bec they are good.  I believe, we were on a motorcycle trip when we picked up the iron, 8-wedge skillet. I like the way it toasts all the sides. We usually serve with apple/rhubarb sauce (6 apples (at least 3 Granny Smiths) nuked until applesauce, 6-8 stalks rhubarb and 1/2 c sugar cooked on the stove until tender.)"

Bill Roche’s Cornbread
Dry Ingredients:
1 c each yellow cornmeal, white cornmeal, whole wheat flour 
2 t baking pwdr
1 t soda
1 t salt
½ c sugar (use raw sugar)

Wet Ingredients:
3 eggs
3 c buttermilk (or 1 32 oz plain yogurt) if using yogurt, may have to add a little milk
1 med onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. canola oil (plus more for greasing pan)

Put a little canola oil in iron skillet. Let it get hot in oven while making cornbread.  Mix dry ingred in bowl. Mix wet ingred (& onions) in another bowl. Pour dry into wet ingred. Mix. If using yogurt and mixture is too thick, thin with milk.  Pour in iron skillet or muffin pan.  Bake at 500 for approx 14 minutes for muffins, 25 for skillet cornbread or until brown on top.  We use an 8-wedge, iron skillet obtained from Cracker Barrel.

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