Best Cornbread Mix: Penguin

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Tuesday, February 23. 2010

Best Cornbread Mix: Penguin

This makes the best cornbread I've ever had - and I have had plenty of cornbread. I'll never bother with another brand. What makes it special is the sort of corn meal they use: coarse-ground with corn hunks so it comes out chewy but with a crunchy crust.

They sell it at Costco. Also, I was surprised to see, at Amazon. Try it.

Posted by Bird Dog in Food and Drink, Our Essays at 12:44 | Comments (16) | Trackbacks (0)

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Who needs a mix - it's 3 or 4 readily available ingredients.

#1 Ben-David on 2010-02-23 12:58 (Reply)

Roasted cornmeal is the foundation for exquisite cornbread. That, and baking it in a well seasoned cast iron skillet. Only a yankee would think that cornbread made from unroasted cornmeal or something coming out of a box is cornbread. How sad.

We don't tell you how to make oyster chowder, don't tell us how to make cornbread. Is that too harsh? :-) I do, however, have an excellent recipe for catfish chowder.

#1.1 Sven Svenson on 2010-02-24 16:21 (Reply)

Does it have much sugar in it? Most mixes taste like cake to me...due to the overdose of sugar.

#2 Dave J on 2010-02-23 13:59 (Reply)

Sweet cornbread suxxors.

#2.1 LWS on 2010-02-23 14:23 (Reply)

I see no need for a cornbread mix. I often make a cornbread which is an adaptation of Sopa Paraguaya ( Paraguayan soup). I add soy flour,jalape�os, vinegar, garlic and onions w spices to it, which could make a complete meal if one so chooses.

IIRC, one difference between Northern and Southern versions of cornbread is that Northern versions use sugar.

Continuing the topic of corn, I find commercial corn tortillas here to be tasteless concoctions compared to the thick, tasty homemade versions found south of the border- which actually taste like corn.

#3 Gringo on 2010-02-23 16:17 (Reply)

I remember making cornbread from scratch in the distant past. Lard was involved.

#4 rhhardin (Link) on 2010-02-23 17:26 (Reply)

Not to start a war but do Yankees need a mix for cornbread?

#5 Rodger on 2010-02-23 19:21 (Reply)

Rodger ... Some yankees do need a mix for cornbread, simply because yankees don't eat cornbread as often as southerners do. I find that southern cornbread is quite unleavened and sinker-like compared to the cornbread I ate in childhood. I'm thinking of buying a mix and adding sugar to it, to see if I like that.

Some manufacturer used to make what they called Corn Toaster Cakes, which were frozen and could be thawed and heated in a toaster. My southern husband always liked these on weekends, but apparently they are no longer available.

That's a shame.

Marianne

#6 Marianne Matthews on 2010-02-23 21:31 (Reply)

We get corn toaster cakes all the time in Washington State at Fred Meyer and QFC (which are both Kroger in disguise) so maybe you can get them where you are.

#6.1 Skookumchuk on 2010-02-24 11:27 (Reply)

I need to post the ultimate sourdough biscuit recipe and pictures. Sort of reaching out to y'all...and do the same with Cornbread....but have to do the ham hock and beans with it for the whole experience....

Stand by gentle people, gonna do some cookin next week.

#6.2 Rodger on 2010-02-25 17:44 (Reply)

I will have to try this mix, I usually use Jiffy. I was given an amazing recipe for cornbread which calls for canned corn and sour cream to be added to the mix. Very nice with a big bowl of beans!

#7 dianainsa on 2010-02-23 22:01 (Reply)

My Texas grandmother made corn pone, those skinny but crispy sticks, using corn-off-the-cob along with cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder, eggs and buttermilk. They were very light inside. Haven't seen the cast iron pone pans for sale in years.

#7.1 jma on 2010-02-23 23:03 (Reply)

Course ground cornmeal is the BEST for cornbread. New Englanders tend to use to much sugar making their cornbread and it comes out tasting like yellow cake.

Best cornbread I've ever had was a place outside of Selma, Alabama between Selma and Montgomery. Little old black lady ran the joint - oh my gosh I can still taste it.

#8 Tom Francis on 2010-02-24 01:41 (Reply)

A little off-topic but I've thought of cornbread and spoonbread in the same vein. It's been years since I've had spoonbread. Hmm. Must remedy that.

#9 BlogDog (Link) on 2010-02-24 09:40 (Reply)

I prefer my cornbread moist with a touch of sweetness smothered with honey butter. Mrs. Tralfaz likes her's dry and thin. She's a Okie and I'm a Montanan so it kind of fits with Northern state folks preferring a sweeter cornbread model.

#10 Tralfaz on 2010-02-24 11:22 (Reply)

In my travels I've found cornbread to be a regional thing. Where I'm from cornbread is made with yellow cornmeal, comes out of the oven in an iron skillet and there darned sure better not be any sugar or flour in it.

#11 Big Bob from Eastern Kentucky on 2010-03-09 22:26 (Reply)

I agree that this is the BEST EVER corn bread for the very reasons you cite. YUMMY!

#12 Lynne on 2011-01-24 22:05 (Reply)

I tried this Penguin Mix, I followed the instructions to the tea, they came out looking nice and they tasted ok at first but 1/2 cup oil really made them have an oily taste, it was pretty nasty when I started burpin up oil flavored burps, disgusting. If I try this again, I'm going to have to cut out the oil or lessen it by a lot.

#13 Garret on 2011-04-21 23:51 (Reply)

My Mississippi-born father used to call any cornbread recipe with sweetener involved corn cake. Cornbread is made from corn meal, buttermilk and greased iron skillets. Cornbread is not sweet.

Having said that, I have tried the Penguin brand, and I think it's the best corn cake I have ever eaten.

#14 Dave B on 2012-06-06 16:25 (Reply)

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Tuesday, February 23. 2010

Best Cornbread Mix: Penguin