Brown Butter Pumpkin Cornbread

We are steering pretty far from traditional cornbread with this recipe, but the flavors here are subtle enough to complement most soups while being unique enough to keep it interesting. The pepita topping gives your cornbread an extra crunch, while the sour cream helps keeps it on the softer side. This bread is delicious warm with just a pat of butter and perfect for dunking into chilis or stews.

Brown Butter Pumpkin Cornbread

Cook time: 30 minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • 0.75 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp ground ginger
  • 0.125 tsp grated nutmeg
  • 15 oz pumpkin purée one can
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter browned and cooled
  • 0.33 cup raw pepitas
  • 1 Tbsp unsalted butter melted

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and grease a 9 in (23 cm) round cake pan.
  2. In a small saucepan or skillet over medium heat, melt 4 Tbsp (55 g) of the butter. Swirl the butter around the pan slightly, watching it closely, and after about 2 minutes, it should start to bubble. Let it bubble for 1 or 2 minutes or until you start to see small flecks of brown form on the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg until well combined.
  4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the pumpkin, sour cream, eggs, and cooled brown butter. Whisk the wet ingredients together until combined (it's OK if some of the dry ingredients get in), and then fold the dry ingredients into the wet just until everything is combined. Mix only until there are no more dry parts; do not overmix.
  5. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan and smooth the top so that it's even. Sprinkle the pepitas over the top and gently press them into the batter.
  6. Melt the remaining 1 Tbsp of butter in the microwave and drizzle over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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