When the mood for old-fashioned corn bread strikes, you don't have to dash off to the supermarket for unusual ingredients. You don't even have to turn on the oven.
Corn bread bakes well in the microwave. It doesn't brown, of course, but the light yellow color looks appetizing. You can also stir in a variety of other ingredients that enhance the corn bread's look, taste and texture.If you have trouble getting a large, round corn bread baked evenly, try baking it in a ring-shaped dish. If you don't have a ring-shaped dish usable in the microwave, make your own: Place a glass or custard cup in the center of your round glass cake dish. Don't grease or butter the round dish or the glass, or the muffin pans if that's what you're using.
Corn bread basically comes in two varieties - sweet or buttermilk. You can make one large round corn bread, or you can make muffins.
Directions follow. To vary either of the recipes, stir in one of these: 1 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup cooked corn kernels, 2 slices of crisp bacon that have been crumbled or 1/4 cup finely chopped red and green pep-per.
Both these recipes rise nicely in the microwave, so make sure your baking dish or muffin cups are large enough. Any leftover corn bread or muffins is great toasted or used in stuffing.
Woodene Merriman is the author of "Zap It Again," featuring more than 400 ways to use your microwave. Send your name and address and a check for $10.07 ($8.50 plus $1.57 for postage and handling), payable to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, to Zap It Cookbook, Box 476, Pittsburgh, PA 15230. Allow two weeks for delivery.
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Recipes
CORN MUFFINS
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups buttermilk baking mix
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
Mix margarine and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time; mix in remaining ingredients. Beat vigorously 1 minute (batter will be slightly lumpy).
Fill 6 muffin cups one-half full. Zap, on carousel, on high 21/2to 3 minutes, or until tops spring back when touched lightly and are almost dry. Let stand 1 minute; remove muffins to cool on rack. Repeat with remaining batter.
If you prefer very large muffins, divide all the batter into 6 large muffin cups and microwave on high for 5 to 6 minutes.
Note: This recipe works well in a muffin pan designed specifically for the microwave. Or, you can place paper liners in 6-ounce custard cups, and arrange them in a circle on the carousel for zapping. For best results, use 2 liners in each cup.
MICROWAVE CORN BREAD
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
4 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup corn or safflower oil
1 large egg
Combine dry ingredients. Mix together the milk, oil and egg and stir into the dry ingredients with a fork until moistened.
Pour the batter into an ungreased microwave-safe 8-inch glass cake dish. Zap on microwave carousel on high for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the surface appears dry. Let stand 5 minutes, then cool completely on a rack.