Senator Al Frankens Aunt Carlas Pumkin Cornbread Recipes

PUMPKIN CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat the inside of a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and allspice together in a bowl.
• Whisk soy milk, sour cream, pumpkin, oil, agave nectar, and egg together in a bowl until smooth. Mix cornmeal mixture into soy milk mixture until batter is smooth; pour into the prepared dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top springs back when gently touched and edges are brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

PUMPKIN CORN BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
• In a large bowl, stir flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and make a well in the center. In a small bowl, stir together the eggs, pumpkin, sugar, and oil.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture. Stir just until blended; do not over mix. Fold in pecans. Divide the batter evenly among prepared muffin tin cups.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

INDIVIDUAL SKILLET CORNBREADS

Steps:

• Place four 3 1/2-inch cast-iron skillets in the oven. Preheat to 425˚ F.
• Make the cornbread: In a medium bowl, combine the cornmeal, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, corn and 1/4 cup oil.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Using oven mitts or pot holders, take the hot skillets out of the oven. Divide the remaining 1 tablespoon oil between the skillets, quickly tilting the pans so that the oil coats the bottom and sides. Pour the batter evenly into the skillets. The batter will begin sizzling right away.
• Put the skillets in the oven and bake until the cornbread is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 10 to 13 minutes. Remove the hot skillets from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool slightly.
• While the cornbread bakes, prepare the cinnamon butter: In a medium bowl, mix the butter, cinnamon, confectioners' sugar and almond or vanilla extract with a rubber spatula. Stir until everything is mixed well and is an even color (no streaks).
• Serve the cornbread hot or warm with a dollop of cinnamon butter.

PUMPKIN CORN BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin, milk and butter. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish., Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm. If desired, serve with pumpkin butter.

SENATOR AL FRANKEN'S: WILD RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• 1. In a colander, rinse the wild rice. 2. Put the rice in a pot, and cover with 3 inches of water. Boil in a pot, uncovered, for about 20 to 25 minutes. If you're using Mahnomen wild rice, it will cook more quickly than the paddy variety. 3. While the rice is boiling, slice (do not mince) the mushrooms, onions, garlic, and celery. 4. Melt the butter in a skillet, and sauté the onions, garlic, and celery until they begin to bleed a little liquid into the butter. Then add the mushrooms. The celery and onions should not be totally soft. 5. Once the rice has cooked, drain it and add to the sautéed vegetables. 6. Add salt to taste, and stuff into the turkey before roasting. The rest can be eaten as a side dish at dinner.

AL FRANKEN'S AUNTIE CARLA'S PUMPKIN CORNBREAD

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. 3. On the first speed of a hand or standing mixer, beat together the eggs, oil, pumpkin puree and milk. 4. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry in three batches with a rubber spatula. The batter will be smooth, and is more fluffy than liquidy. 5. Pour the batter into a 9 x 13 baking pan; 2 loaf pans; or- as shown by Franken on Twin Cities Public Television's Almanac- acorn cakelet pans {available at Williams Sonoma.} Place in middle of the oven. 6. Bake for 25 mns, or until cake tester or toothpick stuck in the middle of the cornbread comes out dry. 7. Let the cornbread cool for 10 minutes, and then cut into pieces and serve.