Hot water cornbread. Boy does that bring back memories.

My Granny Gibson used to make hot water cornbread and I absolutely loved it.

Unfortunately, I didn’t ask her how to make it until dementia was taking over her mind and she didn’t remember making this delicious treat.

I remember going to her house Sunday evenings for supper. She would pull out all the stops when she cooked. There would be fried chicken, ham, mashed potatoes, corn, rolls (brown and serve) and maybe, just maybe, hot water cornbread.

The table would always be over-flowing with food. There is no way you could walk away from her table hungry. No matter who you were or how picky you were, there was going to be something you would like.

There was always dessert. Sometimes it was cherry or apple pie. Sometimes it was ice cream. Sometimes it was cake.

Granny was definitely going to fill your belly.

I remember watching her fry the hot water cornbread but I don’t ever remember watching her mix it up.

I’ve always been on the hunt for a hot water cornbread recipe that takes the place of hers. When I found this recipe in the January 2001 issues of Southern Living Magazine, I tore it out and filed it away.

Not long ago, I was going through a cookbook when I found the recipe again. I pulled it out and started thinking about my Granny. Then I decided this recipe was going to be on the menu sometime that week for supper.

Hot Water Cornbread

INGREDIENTS

— 2 cups white cornmeal

— 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

— 1-1/4 teaspoon salt

— 1 teaspoon sugar

— 1/4 cup half-and-half

— 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

— 1 to 2 cups boiling water

— Vegetable oil

— Softened butter

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the first four ingredients in a bowl; stir in half-and-half and one tablespoon oil. Gradually add boiling water, stirring until batter is the consistency of grits.

Pour oil to a depth of 1/2 inch into a large heavy skillet; place over medium-high heat. Scoop batter into a 1/4 cup measure; drop into hot oil and fry in batches, three minutes on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve with softened butter.

Brad’s not much for breads. Me? I could live on bread. I love it.

To really try replicating Granny’s hot water cornbread I knew I’d need to use a cast iron skillet. I pulled one from the cabinet and added some cooking oil.

Next, I put some water on to boil.

I started putting the recipe together and barely had enough white cornmeal, thank goodness. When it was time to add the boiling water, I first added one cup, stirred, and decided it needed a little more. I added about 1/2 cup more water and stirred again. The mixture looked a little thick to me and I ended up adding the remaining 1/2 cup boiling water for a total of two cups.

The oil was hot, and I was ready to make a long-time favorite I hadn’t had in years.

I scooped batter into the hot oil and kept a good eye on the frying. I didn’t want this to burn, but I also didn’t want it to be raw on the inside.

The cornbread cakes were thicker than I remember Granny’s being and they weren’t as big around either. But that wasn’t going to hurt the overall taste.

When one side was good and brown, I flipped the cornbread and let the other side brown just as much.

When the first batch was browned, I placed them on paper towels to drain the grease and started another skillet full. I kept a good watch on the second batch and when I was satisfied they were done, we were ready for our evening meal.

Brad blessed the food and I stared at the hot water cornbread. It kind of looked like Granny’s.

I buttered a piece and took a bite; it sure was crunchy. Brad buttered a piece and his was really crunchy too.

I told him I thought I’d overdone the frying because my granny’s wasn’t crunchy like this was. He agreed it was pretty crunchy, probably too crunchy.

Well, that wasn’t going to stop me from eating it. I like crunchy.

I ate two pieces and decided this recipe might be pretty close to Granny’s, but it was a little hard to tell since her’s wasn’t crunchy. I think this recipe calls for way more ingredients than she used. For some reason I always thought she just used white cornmeal and hot water. But again, I never watched her make it.

This recipe is a definite nailed it, and I’ll add it to my self-made cookbook. Next time, I’ll turn the heat down on the stove, spread the batter out a bit and not let it get so crunchy.

We couldn’t eat all of the hot water cornbread and ended up having it the next night. It was still crunchy, and it still reminded me of Granny.

Sarah Condley is an amateur baker and chef who is compiling a cookbook of her favorite recipes.