Honey-Glazed Cumin & Coriander Cornbread

August 21, 2023

Recipe, introduction and photos reprinted with permission from, 'A Good Day to Bake: Simply Baking Recipes for Every Mood' by Benjamina Ebuehi.

I love the versatility of cornbread. It’s perfectly at home thickly sliced with eggs for brunch or dunked in a big bowl of chilli, and simply toasted with plenty of salty butter is always a good idea.

Here, it’s gently spiced with some cumin and coriander before being smothered in a buttery honey glaze, speckled with seeds and chilli. I always have a little moment when I’m pouring the glaze on top, mesmerized by how it glistens and slowly seeps into the surface.

Serves 8

Ingredients

Scant ½ cup (100g / 3½ oz) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
Generous 1 cup (250ml / 9fl oz) buttermilk
2 eggs
⅔ cup (125g / 4½ oz) fine cornmeal (polenta)
Scant 1 cup (125g / 4½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
1½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons caster (granulated) sugar
1½ teaspoon baking powder
1½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
½ teaspoon salt
Small handful of fresh coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped

For the glaze:
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1½ tablespoon (25g) unsalted butter
½ teaspoon chilli flakes
1 generous tablespoon honey
Big pinch of flaky sea salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan/375°F/gas mark 5). Grease and line the base and sides of a 900-g (2-lb) loaf pan.

Melt the butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan and set aside to cool.

Whisk the buttermilk and eggs in a small jug (pitcher) and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. Make a well in the middle and pour in the buttermilk mixture, followed by the melted butter and chopped coriander (cilantro). Stir gently until the mixture is fully combined and you have no streaks of flour.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30–35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave the cornbread in the pan while you make the glaze.

For the glaze, toast all of the seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 1–2 minutes. Add the butter and chilli flakes, stirring and letting the butter melt and foam. Pour in the honey and let the glaze bubble for 1 minute, stirring so it doesn’t burn. Mix in the salt, then remove from the heat and immediately pour the glaze over the warm cornbread.

Let it cool before removing from the pan and slicing to serve.

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