A Sweet & Smoky Bountiful Bahia Cornbread Tart

From the Cottage:

There is something wonderfully honest about cornbread. Before it was ever dressed up with sugar or baked into tidy muffins, cornmeal was sustenance—portable, adaptable, and deeply tied to place.

Early cornbreads took many forms. Johnnycakes, sometimes called journey cakes, were simple cornmeal breads cooked on a griddle or hearth stone, carried by travelers and laborers because they kept well and required little more than grain, liquid, and fire. Corn pone, ash cake, hoe cake—each name tells you something about how and where it was made. These breads weren’t precious. They were practical.

Corn muffins came much later, once ovens, tins, and a taste for refinement entered the picture.

And yet—cornbread has always had range.

At the cottage, this bake began with that same humble spirit: cornmeal, milk, egg. But instead of pushing it toward muffin or skillet territory, I wanted to slow it down—to give it a shape that invites slicing, sharing, and sitting at the table just a little longer.

That’s where the tart pan comes in.

A fluted edge doesn’t change the soul of the bread, but it does change how we approach it. It says: This is still cornbread—but today, it’s wearing its good shoes.

The flavor leans gently sweet and smoky. A touch of maple syrup rounds the corn. A small amount of baby corn adds texture and quiet bursts of sweetness without overwhelming the crumb. And Bountiful Bahia—with its brown sugar, smoked paprika, cumin, and warm spice—bridges rustic comfort and something just a little more worldly.

This is cornbread meant to be sliced, not crumbled. Served, not rushed.

Sweet & Smoky Bountiful Bahia Cornbread Tart

Ingredients

• 1 cup cornmeal

• 1 cup milk

• 1 large egg

• ¼ cup finely sliced baby corn (the tiny rounds)

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

• 1 teaspoon Bountiful Bahia seasoning

• 1 tablespoon melted butter or neutral oil (optional, for richness)

• A small pinch of salt, only if your cornmeal is unsalted

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

   Lightly grease or line a tart pan with parchment.

2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, milk, and egg until smooth.

3. Fold in the baby corn, maple syrup, Bountiful Bahia, and melted butter or oil if using.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared tart pan and smooth the top gently.

5. Bake for 22–28 minutes, until the center is set and the edges are lightly golden.

6. Let cool slightly before slicing. This cornbread holds together best when given a few minutes to rest.

Serving Notes from the Cottage

• Serve warm with butter, honey butter, or maple butter

• Lovely alongside chili, braised beans, roast chicken, or greens

• Slices cleanly for brunch boards, supper plates, or sharing with neighbors

Why a Tart Pan?

Cornbread has always been adaptable. Baking it in a tart pan doesn’t make it fancy—it makes it intentional. The shape invites us to slow down, slice carefully, and treat a familiar bread with just a bit more ceremony.

It’s still cornbread.

It’s just had time to become something else, too.

Bountiful Bahia

$11.00

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