flameAmericanBaking & SweetsVegetarianHoliday & Entertaining≤5 IngredientsWeeknightUnder 30 mins

Famous Dave's Corn Bread

Prep5 min

Cook22 min

Serves8x8 pan, about 9 squares (or 12 muffins)

Method

Steps

Heat the oven to 400°F for an 8x8 pan, or 425°F for muffins. Lightly grease the pan or muffin tin.
In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, water, and egg until well combined.
Add the corn bread mix and stir with a fork just until moistened. The batter should still look a little lumpy. Do not overmix or the crumb tightens up.
Pour into the pan (or scoop into muffin cups, filling about two-thirds).
Drizzle local honey over the top of the batter in a loose zigzag before it goes in. As it bakes, the honey sinks in slightly and sets into a glossy, lightly caramelized top.
Bake 20 to 26 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean. An 8x8 pan runs about 22 minutes; muffins closer to 18 to 20.
Cool just enough to handle. Cut into squares while still warm and serve with warm butter on the side so it melts straight into the crumb.

Good to know

This is the whole trickDrizzling the honey on before the bake is what sets it apart. It melts into the top and caramelizes instead of just sitting on the surface, so every bite already carries it. Then warm butter at the table finishes the job. The mix is already sweet and cakey, almost dessert-like, and this pushes it over the edge into something the kids and the table cannot keep their hands off of. Use real local honey if you can get it; the floral edge plays against the corn sweetness in a way clover squeeze-bottle honey does not.
Do not overmixStir with a fork until the dry just disappears. Lumps are fine. Overmixed cornbread bakes dense instead of tender.
Scaling up 3x (crowd batch)Triple cleanly: 3 boxes (45 oz total), 1 cup milk, 1 cup water, 3 large eggs. Bake in a 9x13 pan or two 8x8 pans. Add a few minutes to the bake in a 9x13 since it sits deeper; pull it when the center toothpick is clean. This held its texture beautifully at 3x with no other adjustments.
Costco / bulk angleIf you can find the mix in a multi-pack (Costco-style cases or the 4 and 6 box bundles), the 3x batch is the move for a barbecue, a holiday table, or a potluck. Cheap, fast, and it travels well covered in the warm pan.
StorageKeeps covered at room temp for a day or two. Reheat a square 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave, then re-butter and re-honey. It comes right back.

Originally published at famousbbq.com. Reproduced for personal collection.