Tart Cherry & Almond Cornbread

5 pieces of Nature's Pride Honey Wheat Bread, toasted - yields 2/3 cup breadcrumbs

1 1/2 tbsp almond slices, toasted

2/3 cup yellow cornmeal

2/3 cup almond meal

1/3 cup turbinado

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup tart cherries

stick of butter

Place an 8" or 10" cast iron skillet in a cold oven and preheat the oven to 400*F (adding the cast iron skillet to the cold oven to gradually warm will prevent it from warping or becoming damaged). Lay the bread pieces on a cookie sheet without butter or cooking spray. Allow the bread to toast 10 min on each side, although watch carefully in case your oven cooks rapidly.

While the bread is toasting, turn a burner on the stove to medium heat. In a small skillet, add the almonds and cook for approximately 5 min until the almonds are toasted, tossing occasionally. Remove from the stove and set aside.

Remove the bread from the oven and carefully add it in pieces to a food processor and pulse until the bread turns into breadcrumbs. In a large bowl, add all the dry ingredients of breadcrumbs through kosher salt. Mix thoroughly.

Next add the wet ingredients of eggs through tart cherries, plus 1 tbsp of the toasted almond slices, and mix well.

Remove the cast iron skillet from the oven with an oven mitt and thoroughly coat the bottom and sides with a stick of butter so the batter doesn't stick. Pour in the thick batter and spread evenly with a spatula. Lastly, add the remaining toasted almond slices evenly over the top of the batter. Using your oven mitt, return the cast iron skillet to the oven at 400*F and cook for 20 min.

Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 min before slicing. Serve immediately or store for savoring later.

~Yields 8 servings.

Recipe printed from Le Grand Fromage: http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/

URL to recipe: http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/2010/09/tart-cherry-almond-cornbread.html