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READY IN 15 mins

Hot Water Cornbread

Read Reviews (75)

"This is a very old fashioned recipe. The cornbread is shaped into little cakes and fried, rather than baked. They are served with maple syrup over them." — Karin Christian

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Original recipe makes 12 cakes Change Servings

1 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white sugar

1 tablespoon shortening
3/4 cup boiling water

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Directions

In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, salt, and sugar. Add boiling water and shortening; stir until shortening melts.
Pour oil or bacon fat to a depth of 1/2 inch in a large skillet and heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Shape cornmeal mixture into flattened balls using a heaping tablespoon as a measuring guide. Fry each in hot oil, turning once, until crisp and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve at once with maple syrup or honey.

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PREP 5 mins
COOK 10 mins
READY IN 15 mins

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"A little bit of this and a little bit of that," has never helped when it came to Hot Water Cornbread, and is the only recipe my mom could give me. I tried this one (with a little modification) and it turned out great. The thing to remember is that the boiling water already cooks the cornmeal, so you don't have to fry it that long - just long enough for it to get LIGHT brown on each side. If you add sugar, you'll need to watch it extra carefully because the sugar will cause the cornbread to burn if the heat is real high. I'm not a pro and can prepare this without measuring!

—EVAGIRL

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Mar 30, 2006

This recipe was extremely easy, however my family and I felt the amount of salt overwhelmed us. Also, it only made about 6-3 inch cakes instead of 12-1 inch cakes. Cut the salt, to 1/2 to 3/4 tsp, and possibly add some minced onion for flavor. Also double the recipe if you are cooking for more than two people.

—TEXASFRECKLES

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94 Ratings

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Dec 05, 2003

This recipe was pretty good.Really easy and really quick. The only thing that was dissapointing is that the recipe says you can make 12 cakes. They would have to be really small cakes. I usually get about 5-6 but with the bigger size you'll have to fry them a little longer. I also altered the recipe a little by taking the salt out completely and doubling the sugar. This give the bread a sweeter taste. I found it to be too salty with the original for my own taste.

—LAINO1

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Jan 28, 2004

Quick and easy. These would go well with ham or fried fish or chicken as well as being a quick hot breakfast. The first batch I made, I forgot to add the shortening and they turned out just as good as the second batch with the shortening, so I'll be omitting the shortening from now on. They are a bit too salty, but cutting the salt in half makes them too bland for eating without syrup. Next time I'll try 3/4 teaspoon salt. I couldn't form little flatten balls, so I just dropped the batter by heaping spoonfuls onto a well-oiled skillet (I found that an eighth inch of oil worked as well as a half inch) They cook quickly and also burn quickly, so keep a close eye on the frying process.

—DEWLANNA

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Jan 14, 2004

This is a wonderful recipe. When I told my mom I found this recipe (she is 83 and a great cook)she said it was exactly right, except I needed to add 1 tbs of finely minced onion to make it authenic! I did and it was wonderful. Served with honey butter - also from this web site - and large lima beans cooked with bits of baked ham. Try it, if you love country cooking, you will love it! Thanks, Karin.

—rowdy

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Mar 07, 2007

i love hot water cornbread i didn't use the shorting i used butter real butter i was so.... good hot or cold

—tasha

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Jan 12, 2008

Yummy! I am on a special diet (Daniel's fast) where I cannot eat many of the things you would normally put in breads so I was excited to find this recipe. I modified this to omit the sugar and shortening and cooked in olive oil. I dipped it in honey and it was very delicious - my whole family loved it! I agree with other reviewer that there is no difference with or without shortening so you might as well save the fat (I did try both ways). I also tried cooking the cornbread in 1/2" canola oil the first time and 1/8" olive the second time I made it and it tasted the same so again you can save calories. I will use this recipe over and over again - thanks!

—maddiematters

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Oct 26, 2005

I got the recipe. I have been looking for a long time for one that tasted like the one my grandmother fixed. It was GREAT!. After we had eaten I happened to look at the cornmeal I was using and it was Aunt Jemima self-rising yellow corn meal mix! I know that is not was what was called for but it was so good I will always fix it that way. Thanks for bringing back wonderful memories.

—Mary Sansing

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Nutrition

Calories
48 kcal
2%

Carbohydrates
8.2 g
3%

Cholesterol
0 mg
0%

Fat
1.4 g
2%

Fiber
0.7 g
3%

Protein
0.8 g
2%

Sodium
197 mg
8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Hot Water Cornbread

Serving Size: 1/12 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Amount Per Serving
** Calories: 48
** Calories from Fat: 13

% Daily Value *
** Total Fat 1.4g 2 %
** Saturated Fat 0.3g 2 %
** Cholesterol 0mg 0 %
** Sodium 197mg 8 %
** Potassium 29mg < 1 %
** Total Carbohydrates 8.2g 3 %
** Dietary Fiber 0.7g 3 %
** Protein 0.8g 2 %
** Sugars 0.4g
** Vitamin A < 1 %
** Vitamin C 0 %
** Calcium < 1 %
** Iron 4 %
** Thiamin 4 %
** Niacin 4 %
** Vitamin B6 2 %
** Magnesium 5 %
** Folate 1 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.