240 ml buttermilk (or half buttermilk, half milk)
240 ml medium-coarse yellow cornmeal
1 large egg
2 - 3 tbsp melted butter
1 - 2 tbsp honey
240 ml wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp diced red bell pepper
2 tbsp chopped, pickled jalapeño chilli peppers
2 tbsp (or more) canned sweet corn kernels (maize)

Mix the cornmeal and the buttermilk. Add the egg, melted butter and honey. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and add to the buttermilk mixture. Finally stir in the vegetables. The vegetables may be omitted or replaced with cooked bacon bits, cooked onion, chopped spring onion, grated Cheddar cheese etc.

Place a medium-sized, rectangular or round unoiled ceramic oven pan or an oiled cast iron pan in cold oven and preheat the oven to 200 °C. Take the hot pan out and pour in the cornmeal batter. Be careful when handling the hot pan. If you are using a ceramic pan, brush the hot pan liberally with melted butter or oil just before pouring the batter in.

Bake the cornbread for about 20 - 30 minutes, or until it is puffed up and lightly browned on the surface. Let the cornbread set for a few minutes before cutting it in bars. Serve the bread while warm, spread with butter.

Recipe source: adapted from "Jalapeno Cornbread", www.razzledazzlerecipes.com, 2003, and "Basic Corn Bread" by Mollie Katzen, WNED/Katzen's Cooking, 2003.